just another sappy love story
by krcube
Summary: Lily and James have a small run in, and become public enemies over that one stupid reason. Lily does something stupid, and her whole life falls apart, but James is there to peice it back for her. [LilyJames LoveHate]
1. I hate you Potter

Just another sappy love story  
  
I hate you.  
  
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Disclaimer: Owns nothing.  
  
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Fifteen year old Lily Evans strolled through Kings Cross happily. She was dressed in simplicity in a beige pair of cargo pants and a black tank top. Her red hair was pulled up into a ponytail and black shades rested on the bridge of her nose, sheltering her eyes from the glare of the sun.  
  
"Lily! There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" a voice called out from behind.  
  
She was tackled from behind in a rather big hug.  
  
"Nikki! I missed you! Hi Gab, Bella," she grinned widely at the two other girls trailing behind.  
  
Nikki Black was the twin sister of the infamous Sirius Black, and shared her brothers strikingly good looks, with long black hair and dark blue eyes.  
  
"Hallo Lils, it's good to be back," another one of them quipped. Gab, or Gabrielle Xu, was a girl of mixed Japanese-Portugese descent, and had had simply exquisite features. Like Lily, her black hair was tied up in a ponytail and streaked with purple.  
  
Bella grinned at her, and stopped to kiss a boy that had just walked past. The other three rolled their eyes. Bella was the typical party girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes, but contrary to popular belief, she was one of the brainiest students in school.  
  
They walked down the aisle, past full compartments.  
  
"This years gonna be so much fun," Lily said as she turned back to look at her friends, and walked head-first into someone.  
  
She looked up into the brown-eyes of James Potter, irritation and anger in his eyes.  
  
"Sorry James," she said, trying to brush past him.  
  
"Watch where you're going Evans! I was walking here," James said tightly, blocking the path to the compartments.  
  
Behind him, three boys had gathered. One, with black hair and blue eyes, was currently motioning to Nikki using crazy mixed hand signals.  
  
"Snake...?" Nikki mouthed back. Sirius shook his head.  
  
"Visited... Snape... Malfoy." Nikki mouthed. Sirius nodded.  
  
Nikki's eyes widened. James had just got bested by Snape and Malfoy in their ongoing Slytherin-Gryffindor battle. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was probably best to steer clear of him.  
  
"Lily, we better go," Nikki muttered into Lily's ear.  
  
"What do you mean you were walking here first! It isn't your aisle you know! I said I was sorry," Lily hissed huffily.  
  
"Lily." Nikki muttered with more urgency. "James' angry, real angry... Snape and Malfoy..."  
  
James narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, sorry doesn't cut it with me, I walk here, and when I walk here, you bloody well clear a path for me to walk."  
  
Lily smirked at him. "Potter, I bloody didn't do anything wrong. What? Sore to be bested by Snape and Malfoy? That's your problem, not MINE. Now if you'll excuse me," she said fiercely, and tried to step past him.  
  
"Hold it," James said calmly and grabbed her arm.  
  
She shrugged it off angrily and glared at him.  
  
"Watch out Evans. No ones gets the better of me and gets away with it." He released her arm and stepped brusquely past her.  
  
Sirius walked past shaking his head. "That really did it Lils, he was really pissed off with Snivelly and Malfoy. It was just the best thing you could have done."  
  
Nikki caught his sleeve. "Do something won't you?" She enquired. "Knowing James..."  
  
Sirius shrugged. "I'll try, but he's a Potter."  
  
Sirius walked into the compartment James had disappeared into, and Remus followed after him.  
  
"I'd watch out if I were you," he said softly before he too went in.  
  
Peter looked at her sympathetically before he followed after Remus.  
  
"Great, I'm a gonner, oh, why did I have to go opening my mouth then?" Lily asked herself as they were seated in their compartment.  
  
Nikki shrugged. "It depends if Sirius gets to talk him out of his mood. Honestly Lils, you know how James is when he comes back from an encounter with Snape and Malfoy... Especially when he's on the losing end."  
  
"I know. But I'm sick of his ways. His ego is just so big. You can't walk here because I walk her. Watch it, this is MY place," she imitated James low tones, and burst out in a fit of laughter.  
  
"Don't worry Lils, whatever happens, you'll still have us!" Gab said brightly as Bella nodded from her seat.  
  
"Thanks guys."  
  
Over at the Marauders compartment, a furious James was pacing around in the tiny space.  
  
"Stop it Prongs, you're giving us all a headache," Sirius said irritably as he stared at James.  
  
Peter was looking at James circling the compartment with a slightly dazed look, and his eyes were starting to cross. Remus looked out of the window quietly.  
  
"I will not stop!" James said as he stopped and whipped around to face Sirius, his eyes a mass of thunderclouds. "Who does that bloody Evans think she is. As if she has any right to talk to me like that. She questions my actions, she's just as bad as Snivelly and Malfoy!" He half-yelled.  
  
"Well, James, it was Snivelly and Malfoy who attacked you, not Evans. She just bumped into you on her way to the compartment," Sirius reasoned. "And well, you were acting like a bloody prat back there..." Sirius offered.  
  
James narrowed his eyes at Sirius and resumed his pacing.  
  
"Well, she did offer her apologies," Remus spoke up calmly.  
  
But, James, absorbed in his fury, did not hear.  
  
Half a year later.  
  
Lily emerged from the girls dorms, swearing rather loudly.  
  
"POTTER! You good-for-nothing-low-life-toad-faced-broom-head-four-eyes- prick! Get your disgusting ass down her right now!"  
  
Bella lifted her head from her pillows as Gab and Nikki emerged from their beds. "It's too early in the morning for them to be yelling at each other," she muttered and closed her eyes.  
  
James Potter emerged from the boys dorms and glared at her.  
  
"What now Evans?" He yelled, then his mouth broke into a evil smile. "My, my, you look really becoming in that hair. Green is it? I heard that that's the 'in' colour now."  
  
Lily glared up at him, her face framed by masses of bright green hair.  
  
"Get it off Potter," she whispered ominously, "or you'll be very sorry."  
  
"It does go rather well with your eyes, don't you think?" He replied airily to her furious outburst.  
  
"ARGGHHHHH!" With a scream, she bounded up the stairs leading to the boys dorms and tackled James.  
  
Owing to years of Quidditch practise, he caught her wrists with ease.  
  
"What then Evans? Strangle me with your bare hands?" He smirked as he tightened his grip on her wrists.  
  
"Let go of me!" Lily screamed furiously at him.  
  
He smirked again and released his grip on her, returning to the dorms and slamming the door in her face.  
  
"Potter! My hair!" Lily yelled at the door and pounded on it to no avail.  
  
"Prongs! What did you do now? It's six in the morning and already she trying to trample the door down," Sirius murmured into his pillow.  
  
"I have totally no idea what the fuss is about."  
  
Later that day, Lily, with her normal gleaming red hair, and her friends took their usual seats in the DADA classroom. James with the other Marauders were seated at the last row of seats.  
  
"Oww, Prongs, that looks painful," Sirius grimaced as James touched the purplish bruise under his eye.  
  
"That bloody Evans! All I did was a little colour adjustment, she didn't need to go crazy like that!" He winced as he touched a tender spot.  
  
"Well, you didn't have to provoke her," Remus said calmly as he read through his DADA textbook.  
  
"Lily, what did you do to James?" Gab asked quietly, her eyes shining with amusement.  
  
"Nothing, it was just a little punch anyway. And his name's not James, it's Potter," Lily replied cheerily.  
  
"Ouch! It must have hurt like hell," Nikki turned to survey the Marauders and gave Sirius a little wave.  
  
"Serves him right for turning my hair green," Lily muttered.  
  
"He did change it back didn't he?" Bella said. " So why the need for violence?"  
  
"Well, he did change it back, but only after I punched him."  
  
They broke into peals of laughter.  
  
"Settle down people," the DADA professor, Professor White said as he strode in.  
  
"Now, would you like to share the joke with me?" He asked as he stared at the four girls in amusement.  
  
"Ok, everyone here, none dead or missing?" He grimaced as his gaze landed on James.  
  
"Ouch... James, what happened?" He asked in amusement.  
  
"Don't ask," James muttered.  
  
White shrugged his shoulders and waved his wand. The bruise on James face disappeared.  
  
"Today we will have a written paper, which contributes 30% to your mid-year assessment. 35% will each go to project work and practical tests," he announced as he started distributing the question scripts. "People who do exceptionally well for this assessment will be able to get an auror's scholarship for training during your sixth and seventh year here."  
  
At the back of the class, James and Sirius perked up in their seats.  
  
"Oh man, I'm gonna get that scholarship," James and Sirius said in unison.  
  
Nikki grinned and thumped Lily on the back. Lily smirked at her.  
  
"This is the perfect opportunity to get back at Potter for once and for all," she murmured quietly.  
  
Her three friends looked at her strangely but before they had a chance to speak, the test had started.  
  
After the test, they strolled along one of the many hallways in Hogwarts.  
  
"Damn! I got 5 wrong. Did you hear Sirius and James talk about it, they totally killed my chances of getting that scholarship!" Nikki moaned as she walked along with them.  
  
"Not if I have my way with it," Lily said quietly and smiled at them.  
  
"You guys go on first, I'll catch up with you in the Great Hall."  
  
"Lils," Nikki caught her as she turned. "Don't do anything stupid ok? This means a lot to both of them."  
  
Lily shrugged and ran down the corridor back to where they came from. She crept silently towards Professor White's quarters and crouched low behind a desk. Moments later, the sound of footsteps approached and receded, announcing White's departure to the Great Hall for lunch. Lily quickly unlocked the door and stepped into the room, scanning the room quickly for any signs of movements. As predicted, no one was there. She hurried over to the pile of papers as flipped through them, coming to rest on a script: James Potter.  
  
She thumbed through his paper and felt rather envious at the quality work he had handed up.  
  
Just as Lily was about to start her work, words floated in her mind.  
  
"Don't do anything stupid... Means a lot to the both of them," Nikki's voice resounded in her head.  
  
"I'm sorry," Lily whispered. "This is for everything you've put me through."  
  
With that, she erased everything from the paper and silently left the office.  
  
The next day, there was an air of excitement hanging over the DADA classroom, as Professor White handed back the marked scripts.  
  
"Easy, I'm gonna ace this test," James announced from the back of the class.  
  
"I wouldn't count on it Potter," Lily spoke up as she turned to face him.  
  
"And I supposed you're gonna be the one to win me?" He retorted snidely.  
  
Lily laughed and turned back to her seat.  
  
"That's odd," James said. "I've never seen her so happy when she's talking to me."  
  
There was a loud whoop from beside him as Sirius got back his paper. "90%, Prongs my boy. Beat that!"  
  
Beside him, Remus held up a script with a red 87% on it, while Peter was silently looking over his script.  
  
"Not that bad," he remarked. "80%. Not bad at all."  
  
James waited in anticipation for his script, confident of beating Sirius' score.  
  
"Now, class, everyone generally did quite well for the written part. Sirius, Lily, Nikki and Arabella have high chances of getting the scholarship after what they have proven so far."  
  
Lily, Bella and Nikki grinned as they slapped each other high-fives.  
  
"Now, James, on the other hand, might do well to inform us why he handed up a clean script," White remarked drily as he held up a scroll of parchment with only the words James Potter on it.  
  
James was lost for words. "I-I err... Excuse me," he muttered as he grabbed his bag and left hurriedly.  
  
After class, the four girls were walking unhurriedly down the corridor.  
  
"Strange how James handed in a blank paper huh?" Bella asked suddenly.  
  
Lily smiled.  
  
"Lily, did you have anything to do with this?" Nikki asked her tightly. They had stopped at the corridor and the three girls had turned to face Lily.  
  
"Well..." Lily started.  
  
"I can't believe you Lils! No wait, Evans. How could you do this. Did you know how much this meant to him. Did you?" Nikki shouted at her friend. Lily shook her head slowly.  
  
"Well, I guessed not. He's been harping about being the world's best auror since he was about five. He was over at Sirius and my house and he went on and on about how being an auror would mean to him. How could you Lily? How could you do this to him?" Nikki finished quietly. Her eyes pained.  
  
"It was payback... for all the things he did to me," Lily said quietly. "Did you even know how I felt."  
  
"Lily, I can't believe you would resort to such trickery just to get back at a few pranks," her voice still unnaturally quiet. "I'm disgusted."  
  
With that, she turned and left. Bella searched her face and shook her head. She too, left after Nikki. Gab followed after her without a single glance back.  
  
Lily burst into tears and slid onto the floor.  
  
"How could you," a low voice said.  
  
She looked up and stared at James who was behind a pillar. He eyes, which normally held anger or irritation when he saw her was no a mix of pain and hurt.  
  
"How could you do this to me Evans?" James said as he walked towards her, and finally stopped when he stood over her.  
  
"From now on, I no longer know anyone by the name of Lily Evans." With that, he turned and left, leaving Lily to sob quietly into her hands.  
  
At dinner that night, she spotted Nikki, Bella and Gab sitting at the Gryffindor table. She walked towards them hesitantly.  
  
"Hi guys," she said uncertainly.  
  
Conversation stopped and the three looked up at her. Nikki immediately resumed eating.  
  
"Can I join you?" She asked timidly.  
  
Still there was silence.  
  
"Please guys..." Her voice on the verge of pleading.  
  
Bella looked at her sympathetically. "I'm afraid not Lily. Not now."  
  
Lily looked at Gab, but she too had resumed eating and did not glance her way.  
  
She sighed and left the table.  
  
Nikki and Gab looked at her as she left, both wearing identical looks of sorrow.  
  
"I miss her," Bella said quietly into her mashed potatoes.  
  
"We all do, but until she does the right thing, I'm afraid there's nothing that will help her."  
  
Lily slowly made her way to the place the Marauders were occupying, which was for once, quiet and empty of simpering girls.  
  
"What do you want Evans?" Sirius said angrily as she approached. "Haven't you already done enough to ruin our lives? To think you'd stoop as low as that. Gosh, you're worse than the Slytherins."  
  
Remus was quietly eating his dinner, while Peter was looking petrified at the possibility of a fight.  
  
"I just wanted to apologize," Lily answered.  
  
"Apologizing just isn't gonna help this time you know!" Sirius said tightly.  
  
James looked up from his dinner.  
  
"Sirius, who're you talking to?" He asked, staring at his friend in confusion.  
  
"Evans," Sirius said.  
  
"Who's that?" James asked curiously. "Do I know her?"  
  
"But James," Sirius replied. "Aren't you pissed?"  
  
"What for? I have no reason to be pissed at someone I don't know," James replied in a monotone and resumed eating.  
  
Lily fled from the Great Hall and charged up the staircase, tears leaking freely from her eyes. She headed towards the owlry. It was unlikely that anyone would find her here.  
  
After what seemed like eternity, the tears had dried up. It was already dark, and the sky was twinkling with stars.  
  
'Looks like its after curfew,' Lily thought to herself, grimacing at the prospect of being caught by Filch after hours, and the idea of going back to her dorms where her friends were weighed heavily in her heart.  
  
She jumped as she heard the sound of someone stepping into the owlry and whirled around to face the person. It was Remus.  
  
He walked towards her and leaned onto the window sill.  
  
"It's a nice night. Don't you think so too, Lily?" Remus asked quietly, his eyes closed and slightly tilted to catch the night breeze.  
  
"Look there. That's the Southern star," he said, pointing to a bright star twinkling at the horizon. "It is said that when the southern star shines, your guardian angel is looking out for you right now, and nothing can go wrong."  
  
Lily stared at him. "What do you want Remus? Go on, shout at me. That's what everyone has been doing to me today," she said bitterly.  
  
Remus opened an eye and glanced at her. "Lily, Lily, not everything can be solved by just shouting... You know what you should do don't you? I always knew you were a level-headed person," he murmured and turned to leave.  
  
Lily let him walk to the edge of the owlry then blurted, "what should I do now Remus? Everyone hates me."  
  
He stopped and turned. "Don't you already know?"  
  
With that he quirked a small smile. "Don't stay up to late Lily. It's cold up here, and Filch is making his rounds around school. Good night." And he left.  
  
'What now...' Lily sat on the sill thinking with her eyes closed, letting the breeze play gently on her forehead.  
  
Close to two in the morning, Lily left the owlry and set off towards the dark DADA corridor, her mouth a grim line of determination.  
  
"So, you mean, you woke me up in the middle of the night just to tell me you set James up?" Professor White asked in confusion as he sat facing Lily. He was wearing stripped robes and a rich blue night-cap.  
  
Lily nodded silently.  
  
"I don't get it," White insisted. "YOU erased James script?"  
  
Lily nodded again, her head sinking lower and lower each time until it rested on her chest.  
  
"I don't believe it. Lily, how could you? What happened to all that responsibility and all those that you were so well-known for? Goody-two- shoes? Workaholic? Hello?" White said, getting more agitated by the minute.  
  
"I'm sorry Professor," Lily whispered.  
  
"So," White said as he leaned back into his chair. "What do you want me to do now?" He surveyed Lily.  
  
Lily looked up at him. "Please give Potter another chance at the test."  
  
White raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Just like that. That's not easy Lily. How would I know if the two of you were in collaboration and that James had been revising all this while after getting the questions?"  
  
Lily gulped. "Ermm... Ahh, I would like you," she swallowed nervously again, but went on more confidently. "Please Professor, please give him another chance even if it means forfeiting my own test."  
  
White leaned forward and steepled his fingers, staring hard at her. "So, you're saying that if I allow James a retake, your script would become void."  
  
Lily nodded.  
  
"Are you sure about this Lily? You obtained the highest score in class you know? A 97% is quite hard to come by," White asked.  
  
"Yes Professor, I'm very sure," Lily said resolutely but sadly.  
  
"Very well then. Good night Lily. I won't take points off, just this once. No detention either," Professor White said.  
  
Lily nodded at him and left. Once outside, she slid down the wall and sat on the floor, sobbing quietly into her hands. 'I can't take this.'  
  
The next morning, Nikki woke up.  
  
"Guys, time to wake up now. We're almost late," she mumbled sleepily.  
  
"Come on guys?? WAKE UP. Bella, Gab, Li-" she stopped abruptly.  
  
She shuffled slowly to the bathroom and started to prepare for the day ahead. 'Oh boy, this is gonna be a rather long and tiring day.'  
  
The whole day, Lily sat apart from her friends and classes that had previously been filled with chatter, laughter and bickering from the Marauders and the girls were now unusually subdued and quiet. This occasioned a few comments from the many stunned teachers.  
  
"My, my, I've never heard your class so quiet before," Professor McGonagall had commented earlier that day, as she surveyed the class from behind her half-moon specs halfway through the classroom.  
  
"I must say it's a rather nice change from your usual noisiness, but the silence has become quite unnerving," she continued, concern etched into her features.  
  
"Mr Potter, are you well," she asked as her gaze landed on James. He had his head propped on his hands and was turning a matchstick into a blue mouse instead of the matchstick into a goblet as McGonagall had been teaching. "Your lack of concentration is startling me. Why, this must be the first time I've seen below-par work from you."  
  
James was startled from his reverie. "Of course I'm fine Professor, I've never felt better in my entire life," he said dully.  
  
When the final class came, everyone shuffled lazily into the DADA classroom. Sirius shot Lily a very dirty look before hurrying after James to their seats at the back of the class. Peter and Lily's friends were already seated. As Lily was about to enter the class, Remus caught her sleeve.  
  
"Did you do it Lily?" Remus asked quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.  
  
Lily sighed heavily. "Yea, I did. But it was worse than I thought. I had to forego my entire written paper just to allow Potter a chance to retake."  
  
"Don't fret over it Lily. Remember the Southern star. One good turn deserves another, Lily."  
  
As class was nearing to an end, Professor White put away his books.  
  
"Aren't we in a right mood today?" He asked cheerily trying to lighten the somber atmosphere in the classroom.  
  
"Okayy," he rubbed his hands together. "Ahh well, I suppose we do need a break once in a while. Class is dismissed early today. James, please stay back for a while."  
  
"What for?" Sirius whispered to James as the other students left the classroom.  
  
"Have no idea," James replied. "Wait for me in the Great Hall. Dinner."  
  
"James," White said in a friendly manner after the classroom had been cleared. "I suppose you know this has something to do about your mid-term paper."  
  
James nodded slowly.  
  
"Well, owing to certain circumstances, I'm allowing you a chance to retake the test. Now."  
  
"Prof, any special reason to do so?" James asked suspiciously.  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
James' eyes started to light up in happiness as he was handed the paper.  
  
"Two hours. No more."  
  
A mentally exhausted but ecstatic James Potter emerged from the DADA classrooms close to seven at night and set off for the Great Hall, whistling.  
  
'I might still be able to catch the last bit of dinner.'  
  
"Prongs! What happened," Sirius asked curiously as James seated himself at their usual seats in the Great Hall.  
  
"I got to retake the paper! YESSS!" He replied happily, and punched his fist into the air.  
  
"That true? I didn't know you could retake it," Peter asked.  
  
"I didn't know either. Well, my lucky stars must be shining on me tonight! I'm famished," James said around a mouthful of food.  
  
The door to the Great Hall opened and shut again, the soft noise echoing loudly around the near-to-empty Great Hall. The four Marauders looked up to see Lily walking softly towards the Great Hall, misery painted on her face. She seated herself at the far end of the shadows and began eating.  
  
"Well, if you don't mind, please excuse me," James said evilly as he stood up.  
  
"Ahh, Evans, glad to see you there," he said loudly so that the other Marauders would hear their conversation.  
  
Sirius smirked at the rest of the Marauders. "Give her what she deserves."  
  
Remus, to the surprise of the other two Marauders, had put his head in his hands and started shaking his head.  
  
"What do you want Potter," Lily said quietly as she helped herself to the roast chicken. "I'm really glad you could retake the test, please leave me alone."  
  
A flash of irritation crossed James face. "Yea, no thanks to you Evans. Now, I've got the scholarship and my friends, while you've got nothing. Isn't life just sparkling?" He said nastily, expecting a testy reply from Lily.  
  
But, he was surprised when she said nothing, stood up and pushed her way past him, causing him to stumble backwards and ran out of the Great Hall, leaving her barely touched meal behind.  
  
He sauntered back to the Marauders table and plonked himself down in his seat. "Well, not what I expected. A snappish remark maybe? Put Evans has just gone as quiet as the grave."  
  
He exchanged high-fives with Sirius.  
  
"Way to go Prongs," Remus muttered quietly.  
  
James raised his eyebrow at Remus. "What do you mean Moony?"  
  
"What I mean is, couldn't you cut Lily some slack? Did you know why you could retake the paper?"  
  
James shook his head slowly.  
  
"Well, my dear friends, let me enlighten you. Lily went to see White yesterday night and got him to let you retake the paper."  
  
James looked at him. "So? Isn't that the least she could do? She screwed up my chances Moony! So, naturally, SHE should be the one the right it!" He yelled.  
  
"Prongs, you don't get it. She exchanged her marks for your paper," Remus replied softly to James outburst.  
  
James rolled his eyes at Sirius. "So what if she gets a little punishment. Isn't that what she wanted to do to me in the first place?" He muttered.  
  
"Well, yea, but considering that this means so much to her... If you get what I mean..." Remus trailed off, looking at James.  
  
"What now?" James asked snappishly.  
  
"Remember in our third year... 'Muggle ministry official George Evans and his wife Yvonne were killed as Dark wizards stormed the Muggle ministry in one of their raids to take over the Muggle world. 21st September'," he quoted from the Daily Prophet. "Well, what was unusual about this was that Voldemort himself took part in the raid. Or, to put it in simpler terms... Lily's parents were killed by Voldemort himself." He looked at James calmly.  
  
The colour drained from James' face. He himself knew how it felt. After all, his parents had been murdered in the same way by Voldemort a few years back. He remembered only too clearly seeing their dead bodies spread-eagled on the floor, shock painted on their features. And he remembered the cold fury that had overcome him then. Revenge.  
  
"Great," James head plonked into his hand. "What did I just do..." he moaned softly to himself. "Guys... I'm going up first. See you." He turned and ran out of the Great Hall.  
  
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," James panted as he unearthed an old scroll of parchment from the boys messy dorms, and again, set off at a run, startling Bella as she walked into the common room.  
  
Minutes later, he arrived at the Astronomy Tower. Sure enough, muffled sobs could be heard from within. He tiptoed into the room.  
  
Lily was standing on the narrow sill, facing outwards, her eyes closed.  
  
"Evans," James spoke out.  
  
"What do you want Potter. Come to make my life more miserable?" She mumbled in a wavering voice, taking a small step to the edge.  
  
"Come down from there Evans. A gust of wind could sweep you off your feet," James said.  
  
"Go away Potter. I hate you," Lily whispered softly and took a step forward, disappearing immediately from view.  
  
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Well that's' that. My rather first fanfic in quite a long long time. It's just a sample para, see how its received before I do post more. Anyway, I'm busy with my exams, so it could be a rather long while before I can come on. 


	2. I'm sorry, I can't be perfect

Just another sappy love story.  
  
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Chapter 2 - I'm sorry, I can't be perfect...  
  
Disclaimer: Am not J.K Rowling.  
  
19/9/2003  
  
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James was too stunned to react for that first few seconds. Then, he immediately sprung into action.  
  
"Evans! Bloody hell!" He swore loudly. "Accio Nimbus 1001!" He yelled and leapt towards the window sill. Lily had already fallen about halfway down, and without further thought, jumped out of the window behind her.  
  
After a few bind-blowing seconds of falling through air, he jerked upwards as the broom came sliding exactly underneath him.  
  
'This is gonna take some real fancy flying.'  
  
--- Lily.  
  
Lily stood on the edge of the window sill, looking down at the vast expanse of grass spread out in front of her.  
  
'Should I? Should I not?' She wondered sadly to herself.  
  
"Evans!" A voice yelled from behind her.  
  
Shocked, Lily turned around. And, was surprised to see the person she least expected to be standing there, telling her to get down.  
  
Lily turned back to the night sky.  
  
"Evans, come down!"  
  
No, I've lost everything. 'I'm sorry mum, dad...' And she stepped out into nothingness.  
  
For a few moments, she stared numbly as the night sky whizzed past, but her sense soon returned to her.  
  
"Did I do the right thing?" She asked. The wind blew the words away even before they had reached her ears.  
  
*  
  
Now its just too late  
  
And I can't go back  
  
*  
  
'Goodbye Bella, Nikki, Gab, I'm sorry for the rotten friend I've been,' she thought to herself as a tear crept into the corner of her eye and was blown away.  
  
*  
  
I'm sorry  
  
I can't be perfect...  
  
*  
  
She closed her eyes and awaited for the inevitable impact.  
  
---- End Lily.  
  
He brought the broomstick handle vertically downwards and plunged after Lily's small frame. The seconds seemed to drag into minutes...  
  
'Am I gonna make it?' James wondered to himself. The broom was starting to vibrate badly.  
  
"Guess I'll have to get a new broom next Hogsmead weekend. They weren't built for this sort of thing. God, even Wronski Feints aren't this bad," he mumbled to himself as his eyes fixed on Lily.  
  
He gritted his teeth and urged the broom even further downwards so that they were flying practically parallel to the tower walls. He could feel his ears popping due to the fast descent.  
  
The broom was quickly shooting towards Lily, the gap between them was closing fast. Lily was falling... falling she would smash into the ground in a few seconds, and even then magic would not work as, well, magic never works on pulverized pulp.  
  
Time seemed at a standstill as he dropped further down, then he was level with her. They were just barely a metre from the ground.  
  
James leaned over, concentrated his weight onto his left hand, while his right reached over to snatch Lily out of the air by the waist.  
  
Then, it was over. Time seemed to speed up now, as the momentum of the broom carried them towards the ground. His both hands now on the broom handle, Lily seated in front of him, he grabbed and pulled upwards with all his might.  
  
'Up, you bloody prat, UP!' And by some miracle, the broom pulled upwards just as James toes brushed the grassy floor. And they rose gently into the night sky.  
  
---- Lily.  
  
Lily waited for the impact to crush her bones. After moments of eternity, she felt a jerk upwards at her stomach area.  
  
'That's it. I'm dead now. I'm floating to Heaven, where mum and dad are. Or maybe I'll stay to haunt Hogwarts until I can rest in piece.  
  
She opened her eyes, and found that she was staring into the golden and red lion of the Gryffindor crest on a Hogwarts robe.  
  
'I don't believe it! Potter... saved me.'  
  
----- End Lily.  
  
Up til then, he had been too fixed on getting them up alive, and only then, did he realise he was clutching Lily tightly to him, and she was pounding on his chest, causing rather severe sharp pains in addition to the breathlessness and dizziness of descending so rapidly.  
  
"Evans, stop that you bloody prat!" He growled at her.  
  
She was in hysterics. "I h-hate -hic- you Potter! Why d-did you have -hic- to s-save me!" She was shrieking and sobbing and stuttering into his robes and her words her punctuated with hiccups. "I hate you," she whispered quietly.  
  
Her strength had gone and she slumped wearily onto him, still sobbing quietly into his robes. Her pounding had softened considerably until when James took her wrists, she just completely stopped.  
  
When they reached the main entrance hall, James brought the broom to a stop and held it steady while he helped Lily climb down.  
  
"Now what did you do that for Evans? Bloody Hell! Trying to kill yourself? What were you thinking exactly, huh?" James ranted as he shook her shoulder violently.  
  
"I didn't ask for you to save me!" She yelled hoarsely. "It would have been much better off if I died. I mean nobody would care right? I have to thank you for that. At least I wouldn't get hurt anymore if I died." She glanced at James' hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Let me go," Lily said softly but firmly. The look in her eyes was one which had no emotion in it.  
  
James complied, but immediately, Lily began wobbling on her feet.  
  
"I'm bringing you to see Pomfrey," he said. It was not a question, but a statement.  
  
"I don't nee-" Lily stopped abruptly in the middle of the sentence.  
  
"Evans?" James asked. "Evans?" A tiny hint of concern entering his brown eyes.  
  
"I don-" Lily attempted feebly. She was swaying rather dangerously on her feet.  
  
"I-I..." And she fainted.  
  
"Absolutely fantastic. You just had to faint on me didn't you?" James muttered to himself as he stooped to catch Lily as she fell.  
  
He swept her feet easily off her floor where she lay nestled in his arms. James looked down at her and for a moment, his usually angry features softened.  
  
'She looks like an angel,' he mused in a fleeting thought, before he was back to his usual self. 'Angel from hell...,' he grimaced as he thought to himself, remembering all the fights they had picked over the past few months.  
  
He had no problem carrying her to the hospital wing; she was nearly as light as a feather in his quidditch-trained arms, his broom trailing behind him like a lost puppy.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey???" He bellowed as he entered the hospital wing, not at all caring about the strict silence rule she had deployed. "MADAM POMFREY?? This is urgent!"  
  
A plump witch in her middle years came hurrying out of the office. Her brown hair was tied up in a neat bun, robes, pressed and not a crease to be seen, was looking disapprovingly at him.  
  
"What now Potter! Please keep your voice low," she hissed like a wounded snake, trying to reprimand him while whispering. "There are patients that are trying to rest!"  
  
James looked around the room at the empty beds. 'Oh yea... Lots of patients trying to rest eh?' He wandered sarcastically to himself.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey, please look at my... err... friend, she's sick," James said, indicating Lily's presence.  
  
"Oh, of course," Pomfrey blustered. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"  
  
"Well... I would have, if not for you trying to bite my head off," James answered drily.  
  
Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "Come now Potter. We don't have time to waste. Bring her to a bed and let her rest, this one should be fine," she commanded in a business-like tone, indicating a large white bed at the corner of the wing.  
  
James followed the nurse to the bed and deposited Lily on it.  
  
"Now, Potter, what happened to her?"  
  
"Well, she... err...she," James stuttered. 'Evans wouldn't want me to say she tried to commit suicide. She's too proud, any thing else would just hurt her more,' James thought to himself.  
  
Pomfrey turned to look at him, her eyebrow raised.  
  
"She tripped and fell off the astronomy tower, said something about star- gazing. I was playing quidditch when I saw her fall," he said hastily, and gestured at his vibrating broomstick.  
  
"All right then Potter, kindly wait outside."  
  
"Oh no Madam Pomfrey, I saved her. Let me stay here," he practically begged.  
  
"No Potter, I don't like people around when I work. It's distracting," she hissed again, this time like a winded-goose.  
  
"Aww, come on. I just-," James yawned. The exhilaration of the plummet was wearing thin, and he suddenly felt weary. "I think I need a little nap," he finished with a loud yawn, and keeled over on the floor motionless.  
  
Pomfrey looked down at James, and pursed her lips, then she looked at Lily, then back at James, and smiled affectionately.  
  
"I always knew they would end up together, those two..." she hummed to herself as she set off to work, levitating James off the floor and setting them him down on the bed besides Lily's and started tending to Lily.  
  
James woke up rather suddenly, he felt soft sheets under him. 'Hmm, I feel good, not one bit tired, after that sky-diving feat Evans put me through. Pomfrey must have worked her magic.' Just as he was contemplating what had sparked his abrupt return into the conscious world, he looked upwards and a madly grinning head of Sirius Black swum into view. He was being poked by Remus from the other side too. -Poke poke poke- 'Boy is that annoying. God, I never knew Remus could be so. Ugghh'  
  
"GAHHHHHHH!" James bellowed. "SIRIUS!!!! REMUS!!!! GEROFF!"  
  
He sat up amid hearty sniggers.  
  
"So, Prongs what happened, give us the entire scoop," Sirius said as he plonked himself on the bed beside James, and Remus scooted his chair closer so that he could hear the story.  
  
"One wonders why I have such nosey friends. Padfoot my boy, curiosity killed the cat," James murmured, shaking his head mock-sadly.  
  
"Well, Prongsie, that's easy, one, cause you absolutely adore us -James and Remus rolls eyes simultaneously- and two, curiosity killed the cat, but... you seem to be forgetting a very important point. But satisfaction brought him back!" He finished with a flourish, looking absurdly pleased with himself.  
  
"So," Remus asked, "what's this we heard about you saving Lily's life?"  
  
"Aww, that's nothing," James whispered. "Umm, I went to find Evans after I left. She was at the top of the astronomy tower, and when I reached there, she just jumped off. Just like that. I just performed the wronski feint to perfection today lads. Dived after her, parallel to the castle walls, got her and even braked in time to prevent us getting squished into human porridge. Boy, I guessed she's real upset, cause even after that, she kept pounding on me." James grimaced as he remembered her pounding on him.  
  
Sirius' jaw dropped open, and Remus looked rather awestruck, which, James reckoned, was his biggest reaction to something in a long long time. Remus just wasn't one to show his emotions.  
  
"Well, my broom's got banged up pretty bad to, need to get a new one soon, with the Gryffindor-Slytherin match coming up in a few weeks," he said, pointing to his broom which was now dancing wildly out of control in the room, nearly whacking Albus Dumbledore in the face when he entered.  
  
"Now, don't whisper a word about her trying to commit suicide. You know how big her ego is, so if you spill a single word of what I told you, even to Peter, you know how he's a little loose with those lips..." he trailed of ominously, eyes glinting dangerously, choosing to let Sirius and Remus imagine what would happen to them.  
  
Sirius gulped.  
  
"Excuse me, Mister Black, Mister Lupin, I would like a word with Mister Potter here," Dumbledore spoke kindly to them, cutting off James chances of threatening Sirius yet again.  
  
"Certainly." And Sirius and Remus walked away, Sirius gesturing rudely at James behind Dumbledore's back.  
  
"No swearing please Mister Black," Dumbledore said in amusement.  
  
Sirius sighed heavily and was comforted by Remus patting his back, shaking his head and sniggering.  
  
"Violent broom you have there Mister Potter."  
  
James' face turned beet red. "Headmaster, Lily tripped and fell," James blurted out before Dumbledore could say anything.  
  
"Ahh, yes of course. I myself saw the entire scenario from my office. I must say, that it was your most magnificent catch to date," he said eyes twinkling. "But, one wonders why you simply didn't use your wand. You had it with you I assume?" He chuckled and amused himself with eating one of the chocolate frogs Sirius and Remus had brought.  
  
James suddenly felt immensely stupid. He could have just cast a pillow charm so that Evans wouldn't be squashed into the ground. Now, he had a broken broom and a trip to the hospital wing instead. 'Isn't life just peachy?' He thought to himself. 'Hmm, no wonder Evans yelled at me the other time...'  
  
--Flashback--  
  
"Potter! You dumb ass! Come back down here now! And turn my quills back!" Lily yelled exasperatedly. A group of mad twittering minute owls (imagine ron's owl: pig) were zooming madly around her head. It was really a sight to behold.  
  
James looked down from a height of twenty feet, lazily dangling from his broom.  
  
"Come and catch me then Evans," he taunted. He flew downwards so his legs could brush the ground and when Lily had almost caught him, accelerated upwards again, doing this a few times just to infuriate her, and each time dancing frustratingly out of her reach.  
  
Lily stamped her feet angrily! "You-You show off! That's the only thing you care about! Your stupid broom and stupid stunts. You're nothing but a disgusting stupid prick who wants to show off what meager amount of skill he has at Quidditch! I don't even want to know what they find so attractive about you! ARGGHHH!" And she stomped off, leaving Sirius and James sniggering at her back, and a dozen other fan girls pointing and taunting Lily.  
  
--End flashback--  
  
'A stupid disgusting prick who wants to show off what meager amount of skill he has at Quidditch huh...?' He mused to himself.  
  
"Hmm, I must say that this picture rather... captured the essence of me don't you think? I always thought I was quite photogenic..." Dumbledore said, snapping James out of his thoughts, and showed James a chocolate frog card with his picture smiling mildly up at them.  
  
James stared at Dumbledore.  
  
"I assure you, I am still quite sane, despite my old age. Thank you, Mister Potter, for keeping this a secret. I'm sure Miss Evans will too, one day. Good night Mister Potter."  
  
He walked towards the entrance, but was almost stampeded by a group of girls. He looked alarmed, but a small smile lifted the corners of his lips.  
  
"Good evening Miss's Xu, Figg and Black, I trust you've come to see your dear friend. I'm sure she'll be fine after you all rushed here to see her, and in the process, almost decapitating me..." Dumbledore said lightly.  
  
The three girls stopped, turned to face their headmaster. "Sorry professor," Bella mumbled sheepishly.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he waved his hands at them. "Oh, go on in, don't let your senile old headmaster keep you waiting here." He chuckled and left the hospital wing.  
  
James rolled his eyes. 'Senile' was hardly a word to describe Professor Dumbledore. He had more spring than some of those in the seventh year who spent most of their time studying for NEWTS. (remember: they're still in fifth yr here!)  
  
"Lily! Oh my god, what happened," a flustered Gab said as she surveyed the still unconscious Lily.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey, will she be fine?" Bella asked, biting her lip.  
  
"Oh, she'll be just fine dears. Only the usual, nausea, dizziness, stress and trauma. Just the things you would expect when someone trips and falls off the top of the astronomy tower. Thank goodness Potter was there to save her, I wouldn't have wanted to know what had happened otherwise," Pomfrey said.  
  
"Oh, year. Err, right. Thanks," Nikki flashed Pomfrey her most dazzling smile, and dragged the other two girls to James' bed.  
  
"Hello little brother," Nikki said sweetly, addressing Sirius.  
  
"Nikki Black!!! You-you... Evil little evil spinach-cabbage-brocolli- carrots!" Sirius said smugly with a -there-I-found-a-very-long-and- insulting-nickname-for-you-ain't-I-so-clever- look. (In truth, he had just put all the things he absolutely hated in the world together)  
  
"Yea, that's right little bro, very clever," Nikki said, sniggering. James had stuffed a fist into his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing and Remus was shaking his head and chuckling.  
  
"I am NOT your little bro! I am your BIG bro! I was FIVE minutes earlier than you!!!" Sirius yelled, now sounding like a five-year old child.  
  
Nikki rolled her eyes and turned her attention onto James, fixing him with a stare.  
  
"Out with it Potter, what happened." She eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Nothing happened," James replied nonchalantly. "As I said before, she tripped and fell off the astronomy tower."  
  
Bella snorted. "Yeah, right, and I am a dumb blond. Honestly, James, we're not that stupid. Lily's got to be the most careful person since- well, since like forever. She didn't trip."  
  
"I told you," James insisted. "She tripped and fell."  
  
"Don't believe him," Gab said softly. Tears were streaming down her face as she stared into the depths of James eyes. James felt that she was reading his soul inside-out.  
  
"Stop that Gab! You're freaking me out," James said in irritation, dragging his gaze away from her eyes.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us James? We're her friends," Gab whispered. Everyone was staring at her wondering what was going on. "You're lying aren't you. Lily didn't fall. She jumped."  
  
Everyone jaws' had now dropped open, and the room was frightfully quiet. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The only sound came from Madam Pomfrey, who was busy humming to herself in the corner of the room, totally oblivious to the drama that was being played out.  
  
Bella stumbled backwards into Sirius, who instantly stabled her. She looked gratefully at him, but immediately stared at Gab.  
  
"Sh-she... jumped? Lily? That's so not possible," Bella stuttered. "Gab, don't you think you're taking this psychology thing a bit too far?" She said, referring to the fact that Gab's parents were psychologists and could tell from a persons behavior what was going on.  
  
Nikki paused and bit her lip, evidently deep in thought.  
  
"She's Lily, damn you," Bella was now yelling unrestrainedly. "Not some whacked up person. She's the most sensible person on the face on earth! Don't insult her like that!"  
  
"Wait Bella, shhh." Nikki said slowly. "Don't yell now, Lily's still sleeping and James just woke up." She paused to let Bella calm down. "Gab has a point there, you know. I know Lily's sensible and all that, but we've been giving her a hard time this week, and she had to give up her DADA grades (Remus had told them about this earlier in the Gryffindor common room), she probably couldn't take it any more." she said silently.  
  
----- Lily.  
  
Lily woke up as she heard the voices of her friends shouting at each other. She gasped when they came to the point where they discussed her falling down, and clamped her hands tightly over her ears, yet the voices still seemed to drill straight through to her brain.  
  
'Gods, no. Not now,' she thought.  
  
She suddenly felt tired and all the defenses she had built around her crumbled and did one thing she swore she would never do since her parents had died. She curled up in a small ball and cried. (yea, I know I made her cry the last chapter, but just take it as the whole episode, and not just this once.)  
  
----- End Lily.  
  
The six other Gryffindor students had turned around to look at Lily. To their dismay, tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes. Her eyes were clenched shut, as if she could shut out the world if she did not see what was happening.  
  
----- James.  
  
James looked at the sobbing form of Lily on the bed. She looked so vulnerable that instantly, he felt his heart go out to her. Her body was curled up in a ball. She had probably thought that the blows of reality could be softened like this.  
  
He was absolutely shocked. All throughout his pranking for the good part of the past few months, she had not shed a single tear. The only emotion she showed was anger at him.  
  
----- End James.  
  
Bella looked at her friend and immediately felt tears well up in her eyes.  
  
'This can't be happening to Lily. This isn't the same Lily that held us together through thick and thin and stuck to us no matter what,' she thought to herself.  
  
Beside her, Gab was weeping silently, while Remus was patting her shoulder awkwardly. Now, if Bella had had time to think about anything else, she would have been wondering, 'since when did those two get along?' But she didn't.  
  
"I haven't seen her break down like that since... since Voldemort killed her parents," Nikki muttered from beside Sirius.  
  
"What have we done?" Bella asked herself.  
  
She forced herself to walk towards Lily's bed.  
  
"Lily dear? Lils, it's me, Bella. We're all here to see you," she said gently, shaking Lily's shoulders.  
  
If anything, nothing helped and Lily had curled herself further into a ball.  
  
The next day, Lily was discharged from the hospital wing. Nikki, Gab and Bella were escorting Lily back to the Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Lils," Bella said. "We're so glad you're back."  
  
Lily allowed a small smile to flit across her face, but that was all. There were bags under her eyes, which were red and swollen. Her face was pale and hair disheveled.  
  
"I'm glad to be back too," she said softly.  
  
"How do you feel?" Nikki asked in concern.  
  
"Fine," came Lily's sullen reply.  
  
After that, the group walked back to the tower in a very awkward silence, and attempt of conversation quickly ending.  
  
Lily's friends frowned at her. This was so unlike Lily Evans. The Lily Evans they knew was head-strong, tenacious and talkative. This Lily Evans was quiet. They attributed this to the fact that she was still traumatised by the fact that she had nearly plunged to her death. No one dared to bring up the incident. They thought that it would just pass with time.  
  
-----  
  
Hmm, well, there's the second chap. Well, decided to continue since I was bored and cause of the encouraging reviews I got. After all you gotta start somewhere don't you? Argghhh! I'm soo sorry this chapter is way shorter than what I usually write, but as I said, I don't really have the time now... Physics.  
  
Many many thanks to my reviewers. Hope you continue to support this story! Thanks guys!!! I love you all. Well, I would have put all your names here to thank you ppl specially, but unfortunately I'm typing this on my other lousy com with no internet connections so...  
  
So, is it still good?  
  
~cube 


	3. thanks Potter, for everything

*  
  
Just another sappy love story  
  
Chapter 3: On the course of recovery.  
  
------  
  
Disclaimer: Am not J.K Rowling. You get the idea.  
  
------  
  
Summary: Lily and James have a run-in on the Hogwarts Express and become enemies. When Lily does something wrong and her world crumbles, the most surprising person is their to help her rebuild her life. [L/J love-hate]  
  
29 September 2003  
  
------  
  
*  
  
Over the next few weeks, Lily's behavior gradually changed from bad to worse. At first, she would answer rather normally, but after one week, she gave curt, one lined answers.  
  
It was morning, and Lily and her friends were seated in the Great Hall eating their breakfast.  
  
"Hey Lily, this weekend's a Hogsmead weekend. Wanna go?" Bella asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Sure." Lily replied.  
  
"Great!! You haven't been yourselves lately. Hogsmead will cheer you up!" She then replied.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Her friends glanced worriedly at each other. This went unnoticed by Lily, who was too busy staring down at her plates and messing the food around.  
  
"Lily? Lily?" Bell asked, waving her hand in front of Lily's face.  
  
"What?" Lily asked, looking up, annoyance written on her face.  
  
"Oh, err nothing. If you guys don't mind, I'll be skipping classes today. I'm not in the mood to study."  
  
Without waiting for her friends answer, she grabbed her bag and jogged out of the Great Hall.  
  
Her friends looked at each other. "What's up with her? She never used to skip classes before this week."  
  
James scowled as he saw Lily run out of the Great Hall for the other end of the table where the Marauders were seated. 'No doubt to skip classes again.'  
  
His anger was visible by the other Marauders. "What's up Prongs?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Evans is skipping classes again," he said, his fists shaking visibly.  
  
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "What's it to you?"  
  
James glared at him. "That bloody witch! She gets one more chance at living her life again, but instead she chooses not too! Instead, she wallows in self-pity, bitter about everything and everyone around her, thinking how everything bad happens to her! I might as well have not saved her! Other people were not so. lucky to get this chance. Now Helen..." he stopped and closed his eyes tightly. (Don't worry people, you'll get to know who she is when James confronts Lily.)  
  
Remus looked at his friend sympathetically. "If it means so much to you, then go find her."  
  
James looked at him. "You think I haven't tried? Every time I try to look for her, she mysteriously disappears. Hell! She even manages to slip away even when I'm tailing her! The Marauders Map doesn't work either, cause she doesn't turn up on it!"  
  
---- Lily.  
  
Lily ran all the way to her own special room. It was almost inaccessible, unless you knew where to look for it. She herself had not known of its existence until she tripped and fell as she walked past the entrance during her third year. The entrance to the room was near floor level. It was a minute rose. She took out the last rose petal three inches away from the rose and placed it carefully in a hollow on the rose. As far as she knew, no on else knew about it, not even her friends. She came here only if she wanted peace and quiet, which was what was the case recently.  
  
She observed the corridor. Satisfied that the tiny salamander three metres away wasn't a threat to her secret room, she pushed the rose briefly and stepped into the hole that had just appeared, shutting it quickly behind her. Unknown to her, someone had just come around the corner and saw her fiery red hair disappear behind the wall.  
  
'So that's where she's hiding."  
  
Lily stepped into the room and the lights instantly flared up. Yet, unlike before, this room didn't offer her the comfort she needed.  
  
She walked over to the big window over-looking the school grounds and quidditch pitch. The window was one-sided so no one could look into it from the outside.  
  
She felt hollow. Her tears had long since dried up, her tantrums had ceased. She had long past the stage of caring for anything.  
  
"Everything's changed," she said bitterly to herself. "Even if they try to act as if nothing's happened, everything's changed. They can't go back to how they used to be."  
  
She walked around the spacious room listlessly. Usually, she would have come here to read. But after thumbing through several books in the extensive collection in the room, she flopped down on a large couch, staring morosely at the wall. She had even lost her interest in reading.  
  
--- End Lily.  
  
One week later, things didn't improve. Lily now isolated herself from her friends. And her numerous admirers were also drifting away. Her once silky red hair was matted and tangled, and her eyes were a dull green.  
  
"Have any of you seen Lily?" Gab asked.  
  
Bella and Nikki looked at her and shook their heads.  
  
"She didn't come back to the dorms last night, and the night before that and before that, and she hasn't been attending her classes since last week. In fact, no one has seen her around since then," she said, concern in her features.  
  
Lily had retreated to her room, building up defenses around her. She was determined not to get hurt again.  
  
James was furious. Remus, Sirius and Peter were watching him silently as he paced around their dorm. His mood had turned even fouler everyday since Lily's disappearance.  
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE HER!" He yelled. Peter jumped.  
  
Remus and Sirius looked at their friend.  
  
"She is such an ingrate!" And he stomped out of the room.  
  
"Err, James?" Nikki asked timidly. Everyone in Hogwarts knew of his bad moods. Snape and Malfoy were still in the Hospital Wing, recovering from whatever James did to them a few days ago.  
  
"What?!" He snapped.  
  
"Is Sirius upstairs?"  
  
"Yes!" He bellowed and stomped out of the common room, trampling over terrified first years who were unfortunate enough to come in at that moment, and gave them a five-minute rant.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He yelled and glared furiously at them. The two students looked at him, fear filling their eyes.  
  
"DON'T YOU HAVE ANY EYES?! OR DO YOUR EYES GROW ON THE BACK OF YOUR HEADS!"  
  
One girl squeaked.  
  
Sirius came down from the dorm with Nikki, and froze as he saw the scene taking place in front of him.  
  
"James!" He bounded over and grabbed James arm, restricting him. He looked angry enough to hurt somebody badly.  
  
"LET GO!"  
  
"No, James Potter. This is going too far. Let them go. They haven't done anything to you," Sirius said seriously for once. (yea, haha, overused.)  
  
James arms tensed as he glared furiously at the two first years, then at Sirius.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Sirius raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Hit me?"  
  
James continued glaring, and it looked as though he was really going to punch Sirius. Nikki hovered behind the two, she had her wand out, and was fingering it nervously.  
  
Then, James relaxed. "Let go Sirius. I said let go. I'm not yet low enough to hit a friend."  
  
He shrugged Sirius arm off and walked out of the portrait, slamming it hard in the process.  
  
The two first years squeaked a thanks to Sirius and hurried off to their own dorms.  
  
James stormed down the corridor, ignoring the Fat Lady's furious protests.  
  
"Honestly, students nowadays-" she started.  
  
"Oh, sod off you old hag!" James yelled over his shoulder, leaving the Fat Lady to mutter obscenities.  
  
He stalked past two corridors and turned, coming to a blank section of wall. He had seen Lily disappear behind a week ago. He had examined this wall countless times, and had yet to find a way in. At that moment, he heard footsteps around the corner, and turned around hastily. Professor Dumbledore rounded the corner, humming happily to himself.  
  
"Oh, hello Mister Potter, fancy meeting you here," he said cheerfully.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," James replied as a greeting.  
  
"Oh dear me," Dumbledore said suddenly. "I think I dropped something, could you possibly help me pick it up? It's right there, near the wall."  
  
James got on his knees and started searching, but something caught his eye. It was a beautifully craved rose in the stone wall. 'Surely that's not normal,' James thought to himself.  
  
He straightened up to tell Professor Dumbledore that he couldn't find anything, but he had already gone.  
  
James shook his head in puzzlement.  
  
He got down on his knees again to inspect the other parts of the wall. Sure enough, the rose was the only one of its kind there. Tentatively, he pushed on the rose, and was surprised when a hole opened up in front of him.  
  
'Bingo!'  
  
And he stepped through the wall.  
  
---- Lily.  
  
Lily heard the wall opening.  
  
'That's odd, she thought briefly. No one's supposed to be in here...' But, she couldn't be bothered to get up to see who had invaded her privacy.  
  
---- End Lily.  
  
James looked around the room and spotted Lily slumped on a couch staring at the wall. He shook his head disgustedly and stalked over to her.  
  
"Evans, I finally found you," he spat.  
  
"Potter," her eyes widened briefly in surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Come to get you out of your self-pity! God, you need help Evans!"  
  
"I don't need any help."  
  
"Oh yea? LOOK AT YOU!" He conjured a mirror and placed it in front of Lily. "Look what happened to you? You think nobody cares? Let me tell you something! Your friends are in the common room right no, sick with worry about you! And you don't even bother telling them you're here, drowning yourself in pity. No one is gonna feel sorry for you the way you act!"  
  
"Nothing matters anymore. Everything's changed," Lily said dully.  
  
James scoffed, and answered in a voice full of contempt. "What happened to the Evans I knew? The one with the spitfire personality? Don't tell me that you can't even take this blow? God! JUST get up and start over again. If you can't even do that, well, I'm sorry to say I thought you were made of tougher stuff. Evidently, I was wrong."  
  
Lily looked at him briefly, and resumed staring at an invisible spot on the all.  
  
James angrily grabbed her shoulders and started shaking them, hard. "Listen to me Evans! You get a chance to change what you did! Grab this chance! Don't wait til its too late! Let me tell you something. Helen, my sister, she was a squib, but she was hardworking and managed to keep her grades up. My parents didn't think it was proper her a squib to be born into an old wizarding family and didn't much care about her. She was like you, carefree and fiery. But she couldn't take it, she couldn't take living in the strict high-wizarding society that our family was in, the looks of scorn others looked at her with. She- she killed herself, and I wasn't there to save her!"  
  
James stopped his tirade, and looked at Lily, and looked deep into her eyes. What he saw surprised him. The eyes that had once challenged him with fire was now dead, the bright sparkling green of her eyes replaced with a dull shade. Lily's eyes were emotionless.  
  
He let go of her. "I see I'm not going to get through to you. Fine! You can stay here and rot for all I care!"  
  
He left the room and started down the corridor. It was only then that a sudden thought occurred to him.  
  
'Dumbledore... he directed me to her. Dumbledore isn't stupid. And the way he 'dropped' something was way to coincidental.'  
  
---- Lily.  
  
Lily stood up after James left. Surprising, considering that she hadn't left the couch for the past week. She made her way slowly towards large window. James, Sirius, Remus, Nikki, Bella and Bag were playing quidditch on the pitch. She watched as Bella shrieked as Sirius flew towards her, and she saw the happiness on their faces. But, she saw tinges of sadness on all her friends, sadness she hadn't seen before her 'incident'.  
  
'It must be a Saturday then... I wonder how it would be like if I were to join them.'  
  
Lily turned around and saw a piece of parchment on the floor. Curious, she picked it up.  
  
~~  
  
Evans,  
  
Each of us is a star that shines with the rest, and sometimes we twinkle alone.  
  
But just when you're about to lose your sparkle, your friends are always there to add a glow.  
  
James.  
  
~~  
  
Lily stared at the wall for a while, fingering the parchment, as pieces of James speech floated in her mind. Her mouth set into a firm line.  
  
'He's right you know, I can't go on like this. God! My work must be falling way behind! And how could I be such an ass to let them worry about me?' Lily smacked her forehead.  
  
"He's right... Everything's changed, but I can pick myself up and keep on going. I can make it change for the better."  
  
And for the first time in two weeks, Lily smiled.  
  
She quickly took a shower in the room. It had many handy facilities, in case she wanted to stay overnight. It was refreshing to feel the water running down her body. She took her time to bath, carefully tending to her hair and smoothing out the tangles in it. She came out and dressed in a hooded shirt and baggy black cargo pants.  
  
She fingered her Silver Arrow. She enjoyed flying immensely and was quite good at it. As she left her room for the first time in a week, clutching the broomstick in her right hand, she felt her heart loosen up more than it had for a long time, and her steps light as she strolled down the corridor.  
  
---- End Lily.  
  
"So James, did you find her?" Remus asked.  
  
"Yea, I did, but I don't know if it helped. She looked half-dead." James replied.  
  
"Uhh, James, maybe not as dead as you think," Remus said as he pointed.  
  
James looked up to see a red-head flying towards them She was good on the broom, her control perfect.  
  
Bella was the first of the girls to notice, and she shrieked happily.  
  
"Nikki, Gab!"  
  
The three girls quickly flew towards Lily, and engulfed her in a hug.  
  
"Hey Lily! Where've you been? We were so worried about you!" Gab said happily.  
  
Lily smiled a small smile. "I've been sick, sorry to let you worry but it's much better now."  
  
They smiled at each other.  
  
Bella noticed Lily's eyes were not as bright a green as they used to be. Lily noticed her gaze.  
  
"It's all right Bella, I'll get better, I promise. I have you three to help me. Everything's gonna be just fine."  
  
The girls quickly filled her in on what had been happening the past weeks.  
  
"And you know, Billy Thompson's got a girlfriend."  
  
"And Snape and Malfoy had their hair painted pink and green and purple,"  
  
"And our OWL's are coming up soon, but nobody's studying..."  
  
"And guess WHAT?!?! We spoke to Professor White, and we cornered him after DADA one day, and we spoke to him nicely -- to which Remus snorted and said, " nicely? You were threatening him with castration!" - oh shut up Remus! And Dumbledore came too, and McGonagall, and they talked to him too, so you can have your marks back!!!"  
  
"Really?" Lily's eyes lit up.  
  
"Positive!"  
  
"Thanks guys," she said happily.  
  
They flew off to continue the game, chattering loudly and continuously.  
  
'It certainly feels good to be home,' Lily thought wistfully.  
  
Halfway through the game, Lily flew up beside James.  
  
"Erm, Potter..." she said sheepishly. "Thanks for letting me see how much they cared, and for getting me out of the hell hole, and erm, just thanks for everything..."  
  
"Anytime Evans. Let's say we call a truce?"  
  
Lily looked at him and smiled briefly.  
  
The following Monday, Lily returned to classes.  
  
"Miss Evans," McGonagall said as she walked in. "While I must say that I was disappointed at you for being so irresponsible, I must say, welcome back. Everyone has missed you." And gave a rare smile.  
  
"Thank you Professor."  
  
And she had received the same reception in every class she went to.  
  
*  
  
Over the next few weeks, her friends watched carefully as Lily gradually returned to normal. Her defenses were slowly crumbling and she smiled more often now. Her eyes were also returning to their emerald green, and their place at the Gryffindor table was becoming to most popular place in the Great Hall during lunch and dinner.  
  
"Hello Siri-dear, James-darling, Remmy," a group of giggling girls said as they walked past.  
  
James and Sirius smiled charmingly at them, causing them to blush and start giggling, while Remus contented himself with talking to Peter.  
  
The girls rolled their eyes at them.  
  
"Eww... I wonder what they find charming about you James!" Lily said, sniggering.  
  
"Oh, I dunno. It could be my irresistible good looks, or my charm..." he said looking innocently at her and grinning, and slinging an arm easily across her shoulder.  
  
Lily and James had become very close, and shared a relationship that none else possessed. Lily was sort of like the sister James had lost.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Yea right."  
  
"Jamesie!!!" A very high-pitched voice squealed. The next moment, James felt his hands tugged away from Lily and placed around another fifth-year, a pretty brunette by the name of June West. "Ohh, I missed you so much..." she said, kissing him before sitting on his lap and tucking her head under his chin.  
  
"Oh, err, June, I just saw you yesterday!" James said somewhat irritated.  
  
"Yea, but I missed you!" June mumbled.  
  
"Umm, June? I'm with my friends now... And that wasn't very nice of you, to interrupt our conversation."  
  
June flashed a smile at the other two Marauders, and pointedly ignored the girls. "Sorry Remmy, Siri."  
  
James rolled his eyes over the top of her head and looked at Lily and mouthed 'sorry bout her.'  
  
Lily shook her head. 'Nevermind,' she mouthed back.  
  
Remus and Sirius forced tight smiles onto their faces.  
  
"Umm, sorry James, June, we have to go now," Sirius said cheerily. "Come on Moony, Wormtail, you girls."  
  
The seven of them made their way out of the Great Hall, and once outside, burst into fits of laughter at James' plight.  
  
"Oh my god," Sirius said between gasps. "Did you see his face? It was priceless!"  
  
"Guys?" Peter said after his laughing had subsided. "I'm gonna find Eve now, bye."  
  
"Awww, ickle Petey is gonna find his gal. You're so mushy..." Sirius teased as Peter walked away.  
  
Peter turned back towards the group and grinned before flashing a rude gesture at them.  
  
"Poor James," Bella said, shaking her head. "He didn't know what hit him."  
  
"You guys are so mean!" Lily admonished lightly. "You get had to set him up with the most squealish girl in fifth year did you?" But her eyes were sparkling.  
  
Nikki was rolling on the floor in fits of laughter. "And it doesn't help that she has a crush on all three of you! Let's go now. James won't be too pleased at us..."  
  
As they set off down the corridor, Sirius took Bella's hand and Remus took Gab's. (it figures huh? haha, sorry, I'm a lazy person. I didn't really want to describe them getting together. But if you want to know how, drop me a review so I can dedicate the next chapter to these four characters)  
  
Lily looked at the two couples in surprise.  
  
Nikki sidled up to her. "Gross right? They're so mushy. It was sometime during you umm, you know, that they realised that they were madly in love with each other." She made a gagging face as Sirius kissed Bella. "I never knew my bro could be so... Ewww." She finished lamely.  
  
Lily laughed softly at her friends' antics.  
  
"So Lils, it's just you and me left. When are you going to get yourself a guy?"  
  
Lily shrugged. "I dunno. If I find someone right for me, I might."  
  
She looked up and grinned as a group of sixth year guys walked past.  
  
"Hey Lily," one of them said.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"I'll see you around school."  
  
Nikki looked at her friend and smacked her arm.  
  
"You didn't tell me you were on speaking terms with Jake! Oh my god! How could you? He's how hot!"  
  
Lily shrugged. "Yea, well, we weren't. That was the first time he said hi..." she said dreamily.  
  
*  
  
~ One week later ~  
  
"Gods!" Gab moaned as she sat down at their usual spot in the Great Hall for lunch. "I can't believe how time flies. It seemed just a while ago when we were just ickle-innocent little first year students that came to Hogwarts, and now, we are an hour away from taking our first papers in the OWLs! Oh no! What are the twelve uses of dragon blood?" She asked somewhat frantically.  
  
Sirius looked over at her and snorted. "You, innocent? Hahaha, and the cows are flying."  
  
Gab glared at him. "Yea, look there on the ceiling... See, there's a cow flying, and another one there... and there," she said, and charmed a few hovering cows onto the ceiling. "Haha! I win!"  
  
Remus looked at her and smiled, slipping an arm around her waist. "Don't worry your head of Gab, you're gonna do just great."  
  
Gab looked into Remus' eyes lovingly (ewww!!!) and they smiled happily at each other.  
  
Nikki rolled her eyes at Lily, and made gagging sounds.  
  
Lily laughed at her friend. "Well, at least they're not as bad as Sirius and Bella," she said in amusement, and directed her gaze towards the pair. "Now, that's what you call disgusting," she finished.  
  
They were in fact, whispering sweet nothings to each other and feeding each other, while every once in a while, leaning in to share soft kisses.  
  
Nikki looked over at her brother. "Bonkers I tell you," she said to Lily and proceeded to shove him.  
  
"Hey!" Sirius yelped indignantly. "I'm in the middle of something here!"  
  
Nikki rolled her eyes. "We all know that. Get a room Sirius!"  
  
Peter and Eve were sitting to one side, more engrossed in their own quiet conversation than in the group, and James was currently trying to fend of a few girls from his fan club, all of which had quickly come onto him when they realised that he had just broken up with June earlier that day.  
  
"No, Trish! I can't go out with you! Not you either Gwen..." he said.  
  
Lily looked over at him and laughed.  
  
"Aww, ickle-Jamsie has got so many girls in love with him..." she cooed.  
  
James shot her a look that plainly said 'help me!'.  
  
Lily and Nikki laughed and proceeded to tease James about his fan club.  
  
"Come on James. Give them a chance..." Nikki said between gasps of air. (haha, evil, I know)  
  
They laughed at James' plight for about ten more minutes, until the girls were becoming bolder and bolder by the lack of opposition from the girls that they were now practically throwing themselves at him. (not like they weren't before, but now they're touching him more)  
  
Lily looked over at Nikki. "Ok, now, that's getting a little too much," she said and then looked across the table from her at a rather helpless James. "I better save him."  
  
She reached over to him, and touched the side of his cheek, eyeing him with a mischievous look that said 'play along, this is gonna be so fun!'  
  
The three couples present had now turned their attention onto the crowd around James, and were wearing identical maniacal grins. Sirius nudged Nikki. "Those poor girls are going to have their hearts broken."  
  
James winked at her and touched her hand. The girls that were surrounding him looked highly affronted and were glaring enviously or murderously at Lily. James vaulted the table top so that he was on the same side of the table as Lily, and proceeded to sit on the bench and wrapping Lily's small frame in his arms.  
  
"Sorry, you know why I can't go out with you," James said and grinned at them, not sounding the least bit apologetic.  
  
"Oh, James, that's fine, we won't give up," they cooed in their sugary- sweet voices, then drifted away, shooting daggers at Lily from the corners of their eyes.  
  
James let go of Lily and slapped her a high-five. "Lils, I swear, you're a life-saver!"  
  
Lily laughed. "That's good, now we're even. But you and your fan-club, I swear I'm gonna get killed by them very soon!"  
  
"Then I'll save you again!" James said brightly.  
  
"Honestly," Lily said, thoughtfully putting a finger to her chin. "Why don't you give them a chance? Hmmm, Gwen's not bad looking, and Karina is somewhat more intelligent than the entire Hufflepuff bunch..." she looked over at James and wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "...Or maybe you could go for Stephanie... I heard she's not a bad snogger..." and looked innocently at James.  
  
"Yea right Lils, very funny," he said with a grin and started tickling her.  
  
Lily, if you people didn't know, was highly ticklish, and she started squirming and giggling profusely.  
  
"Excuse me, am I interrupting something?" A deep voice said from behind them. They whirled around to find Jake Summers (that guy in the hallway) a sixth year Ravenclaw quidditch player staring down at them, smiling slightly.  
  
"Err, no," Lily said brightly, quickly batting James' hands away and fixing her hair at the same time. Her face was rather red from all the laughing.  
  
"Hey James, Sirius, how you doing?" He said. "Can't wait for the next match, hope you trash Slytherin."  
  
"Jake," they smiled a greeting at him.  
  
Jake was a very popular sixth year who ran with his own crowd of friends and was on good terms with the Marauders.  
  
"Could I borrow Lily for a while?" He asked, flashing a brief smile at her.  
  
Lily nodded and followed him out of the Great Hall.  
  
*  
  
There! It's done, finally. -Groans- It was hard to write, and I think this chapter was my worst ever. What do you think? Give me you opinions, drop me a review. Haha, Lily and James only feel close friendship towards each other, sort of like the sort siblings share, they don't like each other as yet. No, not even James. James may like someone else in the future, but not Lily yet. Gimme your views on how I should continue... a dance maybe? Or a girlfriend for James?  
  
And, umm, yea, while you're at it, I would truly appreciate if you drop by my other fanfic, Turn Left Turn Right and gimme a few reviews. It's a lovely story.  
  
Thanks specially to my lovely reviewers!  
  
~cube  
  
* 


	4. Gryffindor vs Slytherin!

***  
  
Just Another Sappy Love Story.  
  
Chapter 4 - Gryffindor vs Slytherin.  
  
-----  
  
Disclaimer: Am not J.K. Rowling. Don't sue.  
  
-----  
  
Summary: Lily and James have a run-in on the Hogwarts Express and become enemies. When Lily does something wrong and her world crumbles, the most surprising person is their to help her rebuild her life. [L/J love-hate]  
  
21st October 2003  
  
-----  
  
Okay, people, I'm gonna deviate from the story for a while. Gonna dedicate this chapter to our other 2 favourite Marauders. Apparently, I've got a few comments asking me: where is the LURVVV.  
  
Kimberly: Thanks for your review, and you also told me to mail you when I update, but you didn't leave an email addy for my to write too!!! Ahhh! I'm so sorry, but maybe you could just drop it here. PLEASE PLEASE don't think I'm neglecting you, I still love you!!!  
  
~Lau~ : Here's THE LOVEEEEEEE!!!  
  
Bombshell: Lol, thanks for reviewing every chapter. Sorry this is a bit late, but here you go!  
  
Vamperfly: Haha, I hate choosing titles, I have no inspiration. =)  
  
PhoenixTears13, Animalluvr75, Lady J., Kerr, Panda10s, Brittany many thanks for your reviews, which are very important to me!  
  
Lol, so in light of this, here goes...  
  
*  
  
As Lily followed Jake out of the Hall, she could feel countless eyes turn to stare at the pair of them, as girls stared in envy at her. Whispers started up behind hands. Lily rolled her eyes. 'First James fan club, now Jake's fan club. I must be extremely lucky to be disliked by both groups of people,' she thought sarcastically.  
  
She was to busy thinking that she nearly crashed into Jake as he stopped outside the Great Hall. "Yikes!" She yelped, and hurriedly stepped back.  
  
Jake laughed, "I'm not poisonous Lily."  
  
Lily laughed uncomfortably, going red in embarrassment. "So. umm?"  
  
Jake smiled at her, his hands rubbing together, a sign of nervousness. "Lily, I was wondering, if you would like umm, go out with me?" He asked tentatively. "I mean, it's perfectly fine I you like James," he went on hurriedly as he saw Lily's shocked face.  
  
Lily waved his words away distractedly. "Sure."  
  
"I mean, James is a gr-" he paused after realising what Lily had said. "Really? Cool! Hogsmead weekend's tomorrow." He grinned at her. "I'll meet you there!"  
  
She walked back to the table in a daze.  
  
"Lils, what happened?" Nikki asked, her eyes were gleeful.  
  
"Oh, nothing..." she broke into a huge grin herself. "Jake, Hogsmead, tomorrow!" And collapsed onto the bench in fits a giggles.  
  
All around her, her friends slapped high-fives.  
  
James shrugged, "I have no idea what's so attractive about him," he said nonchalantly, drinking a glass of juice. "I mean," he continued just as innocently. "There's me, and of course Sirius. Sirius' always a good choice, and Remus too..." He grinned at her. "And Petey," he finished, slapping Peter's head into a bowl of cereal.  
  
"Sod off James."  
  
Sirius laughed at him. "Well, at least it's Jake. He's a decent guy. Well, at least he's not as bad as a few of the other guys. So Lils, you won't have to worry too much of James pounding his head into dust because he hurts you... We wouldn't want ickle-lilikins to be hurt do we?"  
  
*  
  
Lily awoke to sounds of singing from the girls bathroom. The door did absolutely nothing to deaden the off-key sounds. She looked around her, Gab was already awake and looking thoroughly mystified at the bathroom door, while Nikki was desperately trying to cram a few more minutes of sleep into her system by covering her head under piles of pillows.  
  
'Oh, bother!' Lily thought to herself. Then aloud, she yelled, "BELLA! SHUT UP!"  
  
If anything, the singing did not stop and instead, intensified until Nikki was forced to wake up. Minutes later, Bella emerged from the bathroom, toweling dry her hair with her wand.  
  
She looked at them with a stupid grin on her face. "What's with all the long faces?" She asked and cocked her eyebrows at them.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes and grabbed her stuff to enter the vacated bathroom.  
  
*  
  
An hour later, the four trooped down to the Great Hall for breakfast before the Hogsmead trip - Bella was STILL singing.  
  
"Love-love-love-lo-lo-love, makes the world go round...La-la-la..." she sang, off-key and loudly, and occasionally skipped forwards then come running back to them, so that the few students they passed stared at them weirdly. (people, in case you didn't know, the song is one from Powerpuff girls. HEY! Don't look at me like that...)  
  
Gab shook Nikki awake for the thousandth time, and rolled her eyes at Lily.  
  
"Boy is someone happy today," she mumbled.  
  
Bella looked at them a grin plastered onto her features. "Come on guys, BE HAPPY!"  
  
Nikki yawned loudly, "how do you expect us to be happy when it's bloody nine in the morning on a weekend and we're AWAKE?"  
  
Bella spaced out as they walked to the Great Hall, totally absorbed in her thoughts.  
  
~~ Flashback ~~  
  
Bella hummed softly as she rounded the corner, searching through the contents of her bag.  
  
"Damn! Where is that book when you need it - Ouch!" She yelped as she crashed into someone when went clattering onto the floor. "Sor- Malfoy!"  
  
Lucious Malfoy sneered down at her, with his side-kick, Severus Snape hovering a little behind. "Watch it Figg. I wouldn't want my name to be uttered by the likes of you."  
  
Bella narrowed her eyes at him and proceeded to pick up her stuff. As she dusted herself off, Malfoy grabbed her neck and shoved her against the wall.  
  
"Playing dumb are you? You know perfectly well what I mean," he hissed. "Fancy you, one of the top students, descending from a squib - an ugly smile painted his lips - and sharing the same name as well. Father must have been crazy when he married her. How unlucky... Severus, take her wand." He paused to let Snape disarm her. "I wonder how you would like a little pain."  
  
Bella's eyes widened.  
  
'They can't use the Cruciatus curse! This is Hogwarts!'  
  
"That's right... Cru-"  
  
"EXPELLIARMUS!" A voice bellowed and Malfoy's and Snape's wands came shooting out of their hands.  
  
Bella chanced a sideways glance, Malfoy's arm was still tight on her neck.  
  
It was Sirius.  
  
"LET GO OF HER!" Sirius yelled. His face was twisted in fury. "STUPEFY!"  
  
Bella gasped as she sunk onto the ground, feeling her neck.  
  
"Bella!" Sirius gasped as he run up to her and pulled her up. "You ok?"  
  
Bella nodded, still unable to speak. Sirius turned back to Malfoy and Snape. "Enervate."  
  
"No, what the hell do you think you're doing!" He roared.  
  
Malfoy smirked at him. Sirius let out a very dog-like growl and pounced onto him.  
  
"Don't- *bash* - you - *bash* - EVER - **BASH** - GET YOUR - **BASH** - FILTHY - **BASH** - HANDS ON HER - **BASH BASH**  
  
"Sirius!" Bella shrieked as she attempted to pull his hands off Malfoy. "Stop it!"  
  
"Bella, this idiot here almost killed you!" Sirius said hotly, but he had stopped beating Malfoy up.  
  
"Stop it Sirius," Bella said softly. "Don't hurt him, he's my step- brother!"  
  
(if you're confused: since the wizarding community is small, everyone is related to almost everyone else, like the noble house of Black. So Malfoy and Bella share the same father, but not the same mother. Geddit?)  
  
Sirius snorted. "He had no qualms about hurting you, and you're still helping him?" He asked incredulously.  
  
Bella nodded and ran off.  
  
"Bella, wait!"  
  
He threw Malfoy a last poisonous glare. "If you ever touch her again, you'll be sorry, mark my words!" And chased Bella down the hall.  
  
"Bella why did you run away like that? Bella?" Sirius said as he caught up to her.  
  
Bella shrugged his arm of her shoulder and continued walking. Sirius chased after her and caught her arm firmly.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" He asked.  
  
Bella looked at him. "You bloody know what's wrong! How could you?"  
  
"I was just trying to help!" He said, getting agitated.  
  
"Well, I didn't ask you to!" Bella retorted.  
  
"Fine!" Sirius yelled, his temper getting the better of him. "Fine! Remind me that next time, I'll just let someone kill you!"  
  
"FINE!" Bella yelled. "What's it to you anyway? Do you have too much time or something?"  
  
People were gathered around the pair, whispering softly among each other, and watching the scene with interest. (eekk! Bloody nosy people!)  
  
"You know what? You're such a selfish prick! You're so absorbed with others that you don't even realise the people around you care so much about you!" Sirius shouted back. "You don't even know how much *I* care!"  
  
With that, he turned around and stormed off, leaving a stunned Bella behind.  
  
'You don't even know how much I care?' Bella thought to herself as she replayed Sirius' words. "Oh, BUGGER OFF! There's nothing here to see!" She snapped at the nosy onlookers and walked off.  
  
Sirius stormed off hurriedly, disappearing into the crowd of students that were headed outside to relax.  
  
"Bloody git!" Sirius muttered angrily under his breath. "Stupid! Girls are so much trouble."  
  
"Well you knew it, but still you fell for her..." A soft voice said from beside him.  
  
He turned to look, and saw Remus walking easily beside him. "Yea," Sirius said. "Well, that was a big mistake. Now I know better."  
  
Remus shrugged. "Padfoot, you know that's not true. If you care so much, why don't you tell her?"  
  
Sirius snorted. "As if you're doing much better with Gab. As far as I know, you guys have just established a relationship based purely on friendship, and nothing else."  
  
A painful spasm crossed Remus' face, and Sirius instantly regretted what he had said. 'Great, me and my big mouth. Can this day get any better?' He thought sarcastically to himself. "Listen, Remus, forget about what I said. I'm a big prick, everyone knows that. You stand a great chance with Gab," he said hurriedly.  
  
Remus laughed mirthlessly. "You're right Sirius, I don't stand a chance with her. I'm a werewolf, circumstances are different. She wouldn't like a werewolf like me. Well, good luck with Bella." Remus nodded to Sirius and walked off.  
  
Sirius angrily punched the wall beside him.  
  
After wandering morosely around the castle for a few hours, he found himself at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the sky already darkening. He stepped through the door, and walked up to the window, his mind thinking back to the day Lily had jumped off. Staring up at they sky, he quickly pin- pointed his star, which was twinkling particularly dully that night.  
  
"Great, just great... Thing's aren't going very hot now. Are they?" He asked himself, feeling the breeze across his face.  
  
"I suppose..." A voice said, followed by the sound of footsteps, and someone coming to stand close beside him. "Hi Sirius, I thought I would find you here."  
  
Sirius' heart clenched. The voice belonged to none other than Bella. "What are you doing here?" He asked rudely, not sparing her a single glance.  
  
"N-Nothing," Bella faltered, sadness tingeing her voice. "I guess I should go..." She turned to leave.  
  
Sirius quickly caught her hand. "No wait... Don't leave. I was acting like a bloody bastard again." He laughed. "I'll just go now."  
  
He turned around, and was halfway to the door when a voice said, "Fine, you can go." Sirius' heart fell. "But just let me say this first, Bella said quietly.  
  
Sirius tilted his head slightly backwards, just enough to look at her from the corner of his eye, but only just.  
  
Bella sighed. "Anything you want. Sirius, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you today."  
  
"That's fine. Sirius deserves to be yelled at," Sirius intoned, talking about himself in the third person point of view. "After all, Sirius just gets his long nose into others' business, business that is none of his concern."  
  
Bella let out an exasperated sound in her throat. "Fine! I feel guilty already. Just thought I'd let you know this before you go off to wallow in self-pity. Gosh! I don't need this now! Lily gone is already bad enough. Don't give me this shit now."  
  
Sirius turned, irritation and anger flashing across his face. "Is that all you want to say to me?" He asked coldly. "If that's all, then it's not worth my two cents worth."  
  
Bella's face flushed, and again, Sirius felt a wave of shame, but being who he was, was too proud to apologize.  
  
"No, that's not all," Bella said, voice trembling.  
  
'She better not cry,' Sirius thought as he eyed Bella carefully. 'Cause if she does, I won't know what to do besides comfort her. I don't think I'll be able to stay angry at her... Well, that's not such a bad idea in itself...' he mused to himself.  
  
"So spill."  
  
"I wanna ask you what you meant this afternoon."  
  
Sirius snorted. "As if you didn't know." He started walking out.  
  
"Sirius Black!" Bella cried shrilly. "You come back here and tell me what it means directly. I HATE guessing games!"  
  
Sirius stopped again, and turned, studying her for a considerable amount of time. "Fine! If you want to know so much, I'll tell you! I like you! OK?!" Muttering obscenities under his breath, he stormed down the Astronomy staircase.  
  
"W-What? Did he just say what I thought he said?" Bella asked herself after recovering from initial shock.  
  
She snuck back to the Gryffindor Tower and up the boys dorms. Creeping quietly into the room, she proceeded to the first bed beside the door.  
  
"Psst- Oh, damn! Wrong bed!" She cursed under her breath as she saw James sleeping.  
  
James opened one eye. "Bloody murder! What the hell are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"Shhh!" Bella motioned for him to be quiet. "Sirius?"  
  
James pointed to the bed beside his and turned around so his back was facing Bella. Soft snored soon issued from him. Bella crept over to the bed and stood there looking down over a sleeping Sirius.  
  
He was sleeping in only a pair of boxers (ooh-lala) and Bella noted that quidditch had done him good- lots of good. A red tinge entered her cheeks.  
  
'He looks so cute sleeping like that...'  
  
Sirius turned over, and Bella caught a stream of silver light reflected of a trickle running down his cheeks.  
  
'Sirius? What's wrong...?'  
  
"Bella... why?" Sirius muttered under his breath and hugged a pillow closer to him. "Don't leave me... please..."  
  
Bella looked down at him, her features softening, and she stooped down and lightly brushed her lips to his. "Sirius..."  
  
"W-Wha the..." Sirius mumbled groggily as he sat up. "Sirius..." He said, shaking his head ferociously. "Calm down... that was only a dream. She's still gonna talk to you... She won't leave you," he muttered to himself, still not noticing Bella sitting at the foot of his bed.  
  
"Sirius." she said softly.  
  
"Yea, great. So now I'm hearing things. Whoopy!" Sirius said sarcastically.  
  
"Sirius... It's me, Bella," she said and scooted closer to him.  
  
Sirius stared at her as though she was an apparation. "What?! What are you doing here?" He asked in astonishment.  
  
She smiled down on him. "I came to see you silly," she said and bit her lip nervously.  
  
Sirius face broke out into the first true smile she had seen on him that day. As dark blue eyes met light blue, sparks flew. They slowly leant in, both not to sure on what to do, until their lips met.  
  
James, who chose to woke up at that instant, looked up to see his best friend kissing Bella in the pale moonlight shining from their window. He made a gagging motion.  
  
"For goodness sake Padfoot! It's bloody in the middle of the night and you can't keep yourself to yourself. Get a freaking room. I'm trying to sleep here, and it's hard not to feel gross when you two are -you know!- over there!" He whispered loudly, and threw a pillow over, which bounced off Sirius mussed-up head. If anything, that did not help, and Sirius stuck out a middle finger at James without even stopping. James groaned and flopped back into his pillow.  
  
Remus was starting to wake from the commotion, and as he saw Bella sitting on Sirius' bed, he let out a wide grin and a long whistle. "Man, you're good Padfoot! You're good."  
  
~~ End of Flashy ~~  
  
"Ummm, Bella? Hello?" She was brought back to earth as Lily waved a hand in front of her. "You want something to like, eat? Breakfast's almost over. All of us have eaten."  
  
Bella stared at her, a foolish grin on her face. "Oh, err, ok." And helped herself to waffles and ice-cream. (I WANT THAT!!!)  
  
Sirius leaned over from the other side of Bella and grinned at Lily, whispering conspiratorially, "she's thinking of me, ya? Don't disturb her."  
  
Bella smacked him on the arm and resumed eating. "Oh, bugger off Siri," she said nonchalantly, but allowed him a grin. "Well, actually, yea. Today's our-"  
  
Sirius nodded, a finger placed thoughtfully on his lips. (awww, I pictured this and started laughing.) "Our first month anniversary eh? And it's a Hogwarts weekend!" He said, and started bouncing around on his seat.  
  
"Ummm, Padfoot? How much sugar did you put in your coffee?" James asked apprehensively as he stared at the cup.  
  
Sirius shrugged. "A few tablespoons I suppose?"  
  
James jaw dropped open. "And together with the caffeine? Man, you're gonna be jumping of walls."  
  
"Well, that's' the whole idea isn't it?" He grinned at James. "Come on Bella, let's go!"  
  
The group trooped outside and set off down the weather-beaten track to Hogsmead. They reached the wizarding town. Since it was still the middle of spring, the air held a hint of coolness in it. The group departed, with the Marauders heading to Zonko's and Bella, Gab and Nikki heading off into the town.  
  
""Now, Lily," James said in all-seriousness. "No having sex on the first date, no falling all over him. And if he does something to you, tell me, and I. will. kill. him."  
  
Lily waited there for about five minutes before Jake came running, his breath condensing into little clouds before him. He gestured into the town and they set off, chattering to the other.  
  
They met the Marauders in Quality Quidditch Supplies, James trying to buy a new broom.  
  
"James," Jake said and led the way over. "Don't you already have a broom?"  
  
James shrugged. "Well, I had one. Lily kinda destroyed it," he said and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.  
  
Lily shrugged. "Get the Silver Arrow James. They're gonna stop production soon. And it's a good broom. I have no idea why you're so fascinated with the Nimbus series."  
  
"Oh, err, if you say so." He picked up a broom with a thin handle and glossy twigs and went over to pay.  
  
Lily laughed and led Jake out of the shop.  
  
As the next week descended onto them, so did the silence. The fifth years were busy studying for the OWLs, and the seventh years the NEWTS, and so little had time for fun.  
  
"Arghhh!" Nikki threw down her quill. "I can't stand this anymore. If I read History of Magic another one more time, I swear I'm gonna start spewing names like Binns!" They were in the Great Hall before their first test, history of magic.  
  
Lily was chewing on the tail end of her quill, but she looked up and smiled at her friend. "Oh, relax. You know you're gonna ace the test. Oh, hullo Jake."  
  
Jake sat down beside her, and ate a bit of her toast. "Leelly," he said, mouth full and spraying some bits of crumbs over her, and then grinning at her innocently.  
  
Lily gave him an affectionate smile and wiped the crumbs off, before returning to the books.  
  
"Lils, you're gonna do just fine. I've seen your essays," he said. "There's no need to study."  
  
"Well, that's because you don't have to study." It was a well-known fact that, Jake, being a Ravenclaw, was top of his year.  
  
"Well, you want to go for a walk, I'll quiz you."  
  
Her friends had their heads down and when she looked at them, they started nodding their heads absently. She glared at their comical state and gathered up her books.  
  
History of Magic in Binns classroom was fine, not counting the fact that Binns thought it necessary to keep watch on his students as closely as possible, and sometimes drifting through them absently, causing a wave of extreme cold on the unfortunate person.  
  
Potions next fared a little better, for their old potions master had quit the job, and for once, the new one was not bias. Professor Shain was downright cheerful, a stark contrast to the drab dungeon walls, and got appreciative smiles when she sternly told off Malfoy for trying to get the answers from Snape, something the past potions master had allowed. The Polyjuice Potion they were supposed to make exploded into Malfoy's face, and the Marauders as well as the girls had spare time left, as they had done this potion on countless occasions for one prank or other.  
  
After that was lunch, were they hurriedly ate and ran up to the Transfiguration classroom, where McGonagall was waiting. She set them the hardest test ever, which involved turning a series of non-magical objects into a magical object, which was more difficult than usual transfigurations. Lily had had to try two times to get it right, well Bella was not faring much better. Her egg had turned into a chick instead of a vial of pixie dust. Sirius and James were leaning back in their chair, balanced on two legs, a row of brightly coloured bottles lined up neatly in front of them. They were playing with their wands, shooting bright sparks at Snape, and turning his egg into a Grindylow which then started puling on his ears.  
  
The next few days flew by in a blur of studying, eating and attending examinations, until finally, the last day of the OWLs had arrived.  
  
The last exam, DADA, was set as the last 30% of their assessment, a practical test which pitted them against the creatures they had learnt in their past years, and then duelling against each other, on how well they managed to block curses and spells and the counter-curses of other spells.  
  
Remus stretched and lay down on the grass, hands behind head and feet dangling into the lake. "OWLs are finally over!" He yawned.  
  
"Yea," James murmured from beside him. "We can finally start enjoying. Oh, the quidditch matches, the Hogsmead days... Ahh, bliss! Where's Lily anyway?" He asked.  
  
"With Jake, where else?" Bella said lazily as she rested her head on Sirius' chest.  
  
"No, I'm here!" A voice said from behind them, and drew nearer. Lily plopped down on the grass beside Nikki and dipped her hand into the lake. "Jake's in detention. He accidentally took McGonagall's hair off during his transfiguration lesson."  
  
*  
  
The next week dawned, with the thick sizzle of excitement in the air. The first match of the year, Gryffindor and Slytherin always drew huge anticipation and tension.  
  
They group streamed out onto the quidditch pitch, hurriedly wishing good luck to those who were playing, and then climbing onto the stands to get the best seats.  
  
"And here comes the Gryffindor team!" Peter yelled from the commentator's box. In the background, everyone could hear McGonagall hissing from under a breath. "Anymore bias remarks and..."  
  
"Green as captain and chaser, Potter and Brown as Chasers, Nikki and Sirius Black as Beaters, Figg as Seeker, and Lupin as Keeper. Lots of colours there. Incidentally the best side Hogwarts has and ever will, Green is entering this match as his seventh and final year here, ending his two year reign as captain. The three chasers are known for their speed and teamwork, and our two Blacks are infamous. Of course, Remus' good, and Bella has only ever lost two games in her four years as Seeker!" Peter continued. There was a deafening sound of roars as three-quarters of the stands waved red and gold flags, drowning out the furious hisses of the Slytherins.  
  
"ANNDDD. the Slytherin team," he said unenthusiastically. "Here come captain and seeker Malfoy... probably bought his way into the team, that one (PETTIGREW!) -sorry Prof, won't happen again!- and Nott, Avery, Hitch as Chasers, Snape -HAHAHA- AND Terry as Beaters, and of course, Crabbe as Keeper. He sure will do well enough to block the goals... with his body size!! -PETTIGREW!!- Sorry Prof!"  
  
"Madam Hooch releases the snitch and bludgers and throws the quaffle up in the air, and OFF THEY GO! The quaffle caught by captain Green, passes to Potter, to Green and then to Brown. Incidentally, Brown is also another seventh year, and is due to be recruited by the Cannons' youth team next year."  
  
Gab and Lily watched from the stands as the Gryffindor chasers engaged in rapid passing. They swooped in lose formation towards the Slytherin posts.  
  
"Watch out there Bella!!! There's a bludger! Easily taken care off by Black, who has enough time to smile at her in a disgusting love-sick manner -PETTIGREW!- before flying off again. Quaffle to Potter. Potter dodges another bludger, two Slytherin Chasers, and flies towards the top post. Three Slytherin players come in to block him, and he releases the quaffle. SCORE!!! TEN-NIL TO GRYFFINDOR as Brown scores from a totally unguarded hoop ten feet below! That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Porskoff Play, performed to perfection."  
  
"Keeper Crabbe throws the ball out to Avery, knocked away by a bludger from Black. Quaffle with Potter-Green-Potter! Lovely one-two there, and they score! TWENTY-NIL!"  
  
Half an hour later, the score was 100-50.  
  
"And the game is getting progressively dirtier! Terry blasts a bludger at Potter, and as Potter dodges out of the way, Malfoy swerves in to elbow him. Yes, it's a PENALTY TO GRYFFINDOR! 110-50! Gryffindor takes on a HawksHead formation and Potter takes the point position. Green at the back holds the quaffle and IT'S A GOAL TO GRYFFINDOR! 120-50! Snape closing in on Nikki Black, OOH! it looks like he's trying to change blows with her! She takes care of it easily without a foul, leaving Snape with a bloody nose from a bludger and another penalty to Gryffindor! 130-50!"  
  
Lily was bouncing on her seat. "Go Go Gryffindor!" She yelled, her voice hoarse as James turned around to wink at her.  
  
Gab reached out and pulled her back onto the seat. "Lils, don't lean so far out. You might fall over the edge. "Remus doesn't seem to be doing anything eh?" She said, eyeing the Gryffindor keeper who was surveying the match.  
  
"Ooh! Avery breaks free, Nott and Hitch right behind him. Looks like they're trying their own version of the HawksHead formation. Snape and Terry form the flanks, and blast the bludgers at the Gryffindor Chasers. A bludger aimed at them forces them to scatter, but Avery STILL HOLDS THE QUAFFLE. Oh no! Come on Moony!!! Save the damn bloody ball! -Peter groaned- NOO!! Stupid stinking -PETTIGREW!- Slytherin score, and it's 130-60. The ball is tossed out. Wait!" A hush fell over the stadium. "Is that the snitch?" There was a tiny speck of glittering gold near the Slytherin posts. "Figg and Malfoy head-to-head in their chase. Of course, both use the Silver Arrow, but Figg is a more skilled player. COME ON BELLA!! She pulls ahead by a few inches, and they near the Slytherin posts. NO! Crabbe flies out to distract her and Malfoy gains the upper hand. That was close!"  
  
Two bludgers came flying out of nowhere, one finding it's target in Crabbe's stomach, and he was knocked backwards through his hoops. The other barely grazed Malfoy's elbow, but the force sent his broom spinning. Sirius and Nikki were rapidly closing in on them, and they turned their brooms upwards.  
  
"HA! That teaches you! You !@#$%^&* Don't mess Bella when Sirius is around! You foul creatures! The snitch has disappeared. In that moment of confusion, the Gryffindor team has managed to score a few more goals, brining the game to 170-70! She's seen it!"  
  
Bella turned and swooped downwards, Malfoy hot on her heels. She stretched out her arm close to the ground and snatched something out of the air, quickly turning her broom upwards. Malfoy smashed into the ground and was trampled as the remaining Gryffindor players descended and started celebrating.  
  
"AND SHE CATCHES THE SNITCH! IT'S A CLEAR GRYFFINDOR WIN! 330-70!! ARABELLA FIGG CATCHES THE SNITCH AFTER STUNNING DISPLAY OF HER FLYING SKILLS AS MALFOY IS STAMPEDED INTO THE GROUND!"  
  
~~~  
  
*  
  
Ahh!!! Quidditch lovely quidditch! There! How was the Bella-Sirius part? I did the best I could, since it's quite hard to squeeze a few months of emotion into a single flashback.  
  
You know the drill, read and REVIEW!!!  
  
And I possibly won't be putting up anymore chapters until one month later. I'm sorry! I have to prepare for by O levels. But I will be back!!  
  
~cube. 


	5. The Extremely Cold Joke

***  
  
**Just Another Sappy Love Story.  
  
Chapter 5 – The Extremely Cold Joke. **

  
-----  
  
Disclaimer: Am not J.K. Rowling. Don't sue.  
  
-----  
  
**Summary**: Lily and James have a run-in on the Hogwarts Express and become enemies. When Lily does something wrong and her world crumbles, the most surprising person is their to help her rebuild her life. [L/J love-hate]  
  
9 December 2003  
  
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This is the 2nd posting of the chapter, coz the 1st wasn't entirely appropriate. Sorry!

**Val**: Hmmm, I'll take that as a compliment, so thanks!

**Julia**: Yes, I realize that I'm rather late on the fanfiction scene, so there will definitely be many other love-hate stories before mine. So, every story will overlap with others by at least a little. But, I really appreciate it, because it wasn't an outright flame, well, you're a considerate reviewer. Thanks! 

**Lady J**.: Thank you! Hopefully another great chapter for you!

**Bombshell**: Thanks as well! Hmm, you do like Sirius, don't you? I'll try to put something in for you in the future chapters...

**Wendelin**** the unweird: (aka matrix style) Miss Unweird! Welcome back! We've... missed you!**

**LJstagflower4e**: Thank you! You read both my stories! Well, I have a double update here!

**Laura**: Sorry! But the fluff doesn't come now! But ahh well, there're three Marauders to write about eh?

**Hi**: Yay! Ok! Their friendship will probably advance quite soon.

**Pandas10**: Yes, what is the Quidditch Cup if Gryffindor doesn't win?!?!

**Indiangur**l: Yay! Another person who reads both my stories! Well, here's a double update! And their something more is coming soon!

**Crystaldreams611**: ^^ Thanks! Ok, a show of my craziness... –JUMPS AROUND SHRIEKING- I'VE GOT YOU HOOKED!!! 

**ShorTi**: Heehee!! Fate lured you here! No, wait, actually, I did. Well, there's a double update of TLTR and this story!  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week, their was a sense of anticipation and nervousness in the air as the fifth years lined up to collect their OWL certificates.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Lily moaned. "I know I'm already not gonna do well!"

Bella shot her a look. "And why's that?"

"Well," she paused for added effect, causing sniggers from her friends. "I think I'm gonna do well, and when you think you're gonna do well, you're bound to do badly, since everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Trust me."

Bella snorted. "Great theory Lils, but you know you're gonna top the whole level again."

"Now, who's gonna top the level again?" A familiar voice asked from behind them.

The four girls turned around to face the four Marauders, with none other than one Sirius Black speaking, an eyebrow raised at them. 

"Sirius!" Bella exclaimed, before launching herself at her boyfriend. Sirius caught her and twirled her around for a moment before setting her down on the floor. "Lily is!" Bella said.

"Oh?" Came another voice from Sirius' right. They turned and saw his best friend, James Potter, grinning at them. "Is that so?" He asked very innocently. "I was under the impression that yours truly would be the top student," he said and bowed low before them.

Nikki laughed. "Honestly James, your ego's big enough to fill a year of Trelawnly's predictions!"

"I'm hurt!" James exclaimed, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Gab!" A new voice yelled out, and the speaker appeared from behind James. Remus Lupin emerged from behind, and he looked around and spotted his girlfriend. "Hey, Gab!" He gave her a small peck on her cheek and intwined his hand with hers.

"Well," Nikki observed. "At least they're more decent. Not like..." she jerked her head towards her brother.

As the certificates were given out house by house, the group got in line behind a bunch of other Gryffindor fifth years, and the queue edged slowly forward.

"Potter," a sneering voice said. "Black. Lupin."

They turned around and saw to the right of them, the Slytherin queue, and right beside them was none other than Lucius Malfoy and his crony, Severus Snape. 

"Malfoy," James replied just as coldly. "Snivelly."

Snape coloured slightly, and put on a scowl. "You won't be laughing when your results come out," he said angrily.

"Yea?" James raised an eyebrow in challenge. "We'll just have to see then, will we?"

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter shot identical evil grins in each others' directions. 

Nikki shook her head, but her eyes were alight with amusement. "Why do I have the distinct feeling that they're up to something? And that the something they're up to isn't gonna end too well for us..."

_Pow__...pow...pow…pow..._

Four jets of light shot out from somewhere beneath the Marauders robes, their wands obviously hidden within the folds of cloth. The lime green, blue, red and orange jets hit Snape and Malfoy in a rather... sensitive spot, and they doubled up with tears in their eyes. After a while, Snape straightened up, but he appeared to have a distant look in his eyes. And he started muttering under his breath. 

"No... you see, 1+1=2, not 4... ok, and umm... ahhh... okay..." A bright gleam suddenly appeared in his eyes as he turned to Malfoy. 

"Roses are red,  
Violets are blue,  
But my dear Lucius,  
Will always love YOU! Okay... He'll love me!" Snape chanted monotonously. 

Malfoy cast Snape a bewildered look. "What in the bloody blazes are you talking about man? Get yourself together!"

But, he spoke too soon. He jerked upright. 

"What is this?" He asked. 

"What?" Snape asked, having come to his senses. 

"This!"

"WHAT?!"

"Oh fuck," Malfoy said suddenly after remaining quiet for a few minutes. And without further ado, ran from the Great Hall with a look of terror plastered on his face. 

While nobody knew what the joke was, the Hall resounded with laughter at the sight of Malfoy running comically out of the Great Hall. 

The sound of laughter quickly died out and panicked whispers swept from the front of the Great Hall. A white face, and thin-lipped McGonagall came marching stiffly down the row, and stopped at the place where the disturbance had started out, which was, of course, where the Marauders and Malfoy and Snape were standing. 

"Would anyone care to tell me what is going on?" She asked shrilly. She caught sight of the Marauders and turned to them, reeking of disapproval, and it appeared as though she had not yet seen what damage had been done. "Ah, yes, Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. I should have known. You are already at the end of your fifth year here. Clearly none of you have matured."

At this, Sirius flashed a grin at her. "Aww, Professor! What's the fun of growing up?" He pretended to think about the prospect and shuddered. 

McGonagall's nostrils flared and Nikki whispered in an undertone to Lily. "5 Galleons smoke comes out of it."

Unfortunately, McGonagall heard the disturbance, and wheeled around and fixed her beady eye on the four girls. "Ahh, where the Marauders go, you'll always find Evans, Black, Figg and Xu. So, were you in on this nonsense?" 

"Oh, no Professor!" Lily said, smiling slightly. "We would never dream of causing trouble."

Beside her, Nikki and Bella stifled giggles. 

"That's good," McGonagall said to them. "Let's hope it stays that way. It would be simply disastrous if the four of you were influenced by this bunch over here."

She turned back to the Marauders. "So tell me, what trouble have you four caused now?"

Laughing silently, Sirius said, "Professor, we sure as hell didn't do anything!" He pointed innocently behind her, and when she turned, he muttered under his breath, "well, at least we didn't do anything that left behind some evidence."

"Where is Malfoy?" She asked suddenly.

"He ran," Sirius deadpanned. 

McGonagall's nostrils flared. "Are you sure you did not have anything to do with this?" 

"Would we, Professor?" James asked innocently. 

McGonagall gave him a look, but she turned back to Snape. "Tell Mister Malfoy that he will be serving detention when he comes back. This is an act of blatant disregard for the school. Fancy him running off before receiving his OWL certificate!"

Ignoring Snapes' furious protests that they 'were provoked', McGonagall turned around and walked back to the front of the line.  

"You realize your jokes are getting quite lame?" Lily asked the four boys as soon as McGonagall was out of range. 

Sirius nodded. "But that's only because you didn't know what was chasing after Malfoy."

"Well, what was?" Lily asked with an eyebrow raised. 

"Actually," Sirius replied, after pausing to think for a while. "I don't have a very clear idea. Ask Prongsie. He was the one in charge of the illusion."

"Well?"

"Oh, it was Snape in old Longbottom's top hat, dress and the swinging handbag," James replied. 

"Ok, you guys have to improve on your jokes I tell you," Nikki said after a short silence descended on the group. 

Another short silence...

"I really think so too."

*

As expected, they received top honors in the OWLs, each of them getting the required nine OWL distinctions for Auror trainee-ship the following year, with Lily, James, Bella, Sirius and Nikki topping the level with a maximum eleven distinctions and a full-score in basic defense against the Dark Arts. 

After that, the last Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin vs Ravenclaw was to determine who the winner of the House Cup and Quidditch Cup was. It was a very close call, for, if Slytherin won, they would take the Cup, but if Ravenclaw won by less than a margin of a hundred, it would go to Gryffindor, and if they won by more than a hundred points, Ravenclaw themselves would claim victory. 

And, it was that, which made the atmosphere of the game highly charged, tension levels reaching around those of pre Gryffindor-Slytherin matches. 

*

"Please let them win, please let them win!" Remus chanted as he stared wide-eyed over the quidditch pitch as players in blue and bronze, and in sliver and green zoomed the length of the playing field. 

The support for Ravenclaw was immense, three-quarters of the school had turned up in blue and bronze, and waved banners and flags about, cheering so loudly that it even drowned out the Slytherins' unsporting hisses. Even Dumbledore, who was not supposed to take sides, sat up in the Top Box and peered downward in unmistakable interest, discreetly wearing robes of dark blue with bronze fastenings, and, as an ultimate sign of support for his ex-house, he had pinned an inconspicuous badge of the Gryffindor lion on the right collar of his robes. He caught Lily's eye and smiled slightly. 

"Relax Remmy!" Gab said, but she herself was half hanging over the railings, gripping the rails so tightly that were knuckles were white. "Ravenclaw will win. Ahhh! Come on score!" She shrieked. 

"And you ask me to relax?" Remus shouted over the noise. "When you yourself is behaving like a madman?" He grinned at her as she smacked his head. "Ouch!"

"I am a dignified madman," she said, sniffing indignantly at him, yet her eyes were twinkling in amusement. 

"Come on!" James and Sirius roared simultaneously. "Kerr! Get your ass to the hoops and score a bloody goal!" They yelled at the Ravenclaw chaser that zoomed past. He turned for a second and flashed the two a thumbs-up sign. Then, he zoomed off, and snatched the quaffle from an opposing chaser, before proceeding to score. "YEAH!" James and Sirius yelled again and pumped their fists into the air. The slapped the Rvaneclaw chaser high-fives as he came zooming past on his victory lap.

And high up in the commentor's box, Peter was going about his job with the usual zeal. 

"And! Young has the quaffle! Passes right to Kerr who dodges Nott, the Slytherin chaser and shoots it... SCORE! 50-20 to Ravenclaw. Come on... Keep it up guys! Give those damned Slytherins a mighty wallop. –_PETTIGREW!- Sorry Proff! Play resumes, and Slytherin has the quaffle. Avery shoots and he scores."  A collective groan issued from three-quarters of the spectator's stand. _

Half an hour later, the score was at 60 - 100 to Slytherin. 

"Oh, it's getting hot here. Can Jake Summers (was his name Summers? I kinda forgot!) catch the snitch now? If he can, Ravenclaw still wins this!" Peter yelled excitedly into the microphone. 

The sound seemed to freeze up as Jake and Malfoy pulled up, looks of intense concentration on their faces. 

"Have they spotted it?" Peter asked. "YES! IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE! THERE, BESIDE THE GRYFFINDOR SUPPORTERS STANDS! GO JAKE! GET YOUR RUDDY ASS DOWN THERE!" 

The two Seekers went down into a dive simultaneously, both brooms streaking along so fast that they were a blur of colours. Yet, up above, business went on as usual, the Ravenclaw chasers desperately trying to score more goals, while the Slytherins were resorting to their usual dirty tricks. 

Lily looked at them as they came closer and closer and closer to them. "COME ON JAKE!" She yelled out, clutching her face as she watched the two zoom nearer. 

And, as suddenly as it, came, it was over. Malfoy seemed the closer one to the snitch, it the triumphant grin on his face was visible. But, something happened, and the snitch danced over to its left. Jake saw the movement, and did not give the chance up. He shot out an arm, and grabbed the snitch, before somersaulting and swerving to avoid crashing into the stands. Malfoy, on the other hand, furious at the outcome, did not watch where he was going. And with a sickening crash, which the whole stadium heard, he rammed into the wall, and tumbled ungracefully down to the floor. 

An uproar was starting up in the crowd. 

"Oh well, it's over," James said kind of disappointedly, his face echoed by that of Remus' and Sirius'. "Well, at least Ravenclaw won, and not Slytherin."

Up in the box, Peter yelled out the result. "RAVENCLAW WIN THE MATCH 210-100! THEY WIN THE QUIDDITCH CUP!" The school cheered loudly. 

But, from amidst the sound, a clear whistled sounded. Madam Hooch zoomed up to the Top Box, and conferred with Dumbledore. He looked quizzically at her, then his face broke out into a bemused smile. Then, he spoke quietly to Peter for a minute, the frown on Peter's face suddenly changed into an  ear-splitting grin. 

"What's wrong with him? He's happy Gryffindor lost the quidditch cup?!" James asked Sirius exasperatedly. 

But, before Sirius had time to answer, Dumbledore waved his wand and as large magical screen appeared in the middle of the stadium. 

"LADIES AND GERMS!" Peter yelled out happily. "DUE TO CERTAIN UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, WE WOULD INVITE ALL THOSE PRESENT TO PLEASE LOOK!" And as he finished speaking, the screen came alive with colours. 

The quality of the video was superb, and those present were again able to watch the match as though it was happening right at that moment. It showed Malfoy and Jake go into the dive, but in the background, another drama was played out. Avery had seized the quaffle, and was zooming towards the goals, Nott and Hitch on his tail as they performed the HawksHead Attacking Formation. Snape and Terry, as beaters, brought up the flanks and sent players scattering with deadly shots. In front of them, the Ravenclaw Chasers and their beaters were in formation in an inverted V-shape, a move called the HawksHead Defending Formation, and were flying backwards, their eyes on the Slytherins, and waiting for the exact moment to defend.

"NOW!" Kerr roared and the Ravenclaw team shot forward on their brooms. Yet, Nott just as quickly dropped backwards carrying the quaffle with him, and the Slytherin players closed up their ranks to protect him. Avery and Nott zoomed upward, and Hitch dropped down, leaving their beaters to deal with the Ravenclaws. And as they zoomed near the goal, the Ravenclaw keeper came to the topmost hoop and stared determinedly at Nott. But, he smirked at him, and dropped the quaffle to feet down to Hitch, who caught it smoothly, and sailed it past an empty post.

 The screen turned black, and a silent hush settled onto the stadium. 

"Well," peter started, breaking the silence. "In light of recent evidence, the score is 210-110 TO RAVENCLAW. BUT, SINCE RAVENCLAW DID NOT MANAGE TO WIN BY A MARGIN OF OVER A HUNDRED POINTS, THE CUP WILL THEREFORE BE AWARDED TO GRYFFINDOR!" 

A buzzing gradually erupted into roars and cheers as the Gryffindors yelled out as one. 

"THANK YOU SLYTHERIN!" Peter yelled from the box. "THANK YOU! WE ALWAYS KNEW YOU LOVED US!"

*

Later that night, the leaving feast was held. 

"Jake! You caught the snitch!" Lily said laughingly as she spotted him. 

"Yea I did," he grinned. "But that didn't help us win the Cup eh?" 

James and Sirius grinned at him. 

He shrugged. "But, oh well, you're happy aren't you?" And he pecked her on the cheek. "I'm gonna join my mates. I assume you're staying here?" 

Lily nodded and he gave her a hug before walking away to join the Ravenclaw table. 

"So, err, Lily, how's it going?" Nikki asked her.

Lily grinned. "Why ever do you wanna know?"

"Curious," and Nikki flushed a faint red.

Lily stared at her friend, curiosity bubbling through her head. "Nikki? What's wrong? Do you... like Jake?" 

"No," Nikki said immediately, but Lily had a distinct feeling that her friend was not meeting her eye on purpose. 

(Ahh! The plot thickens.)

Lily shrugged. "Well, if you say so," she said dubiously, and turned to James. "Hey James! Where you going over the summer?" 

"Oh, no where much. Just the same. We're going over to Sirius' house for a few weeks, to hang out. And I assume Bella's coming over to..." He coughed indiscreetly and grinned at them. "And, of course, they'll be a barbeque the last day we're staying there, so you and Gab are coming right?"

Nikki looked up at them suddenly, her eyes shining. "Oh! Lily! Since they always come over, this time, we're organizing a girls' outing at my house too! We can all come!" And she sniggered at James.

James pretended to be horrified. "Oh no! What will we do? Our summer... overrun with the likes of you! I shudder at the thought!"

And, he got four smacks for that.

Peter laughed. "Poor Prongs."

*

And the next day, their trunks were packed, and they were assembled in assortment at the Hogsmeade station. 

As usual, the eight squeezed into a compartment of their own. 

*

Halfway through the train ride, Remus and James was playing a game of EVWC, extremely violent wizards chess, in which they too received the same maltreatment as their chess pieces, Nikki and Sirius were engaged in an exploding snap game, their hair and clothes already slightly singed, Peter and Gab were playing the normal wizards chess, and Lily and Bella were just quietly talking.

A sound of the door clicking open caught all of them.

"Oh goody!" Sirius exclaimed. "The food witch is here!" He waved his wand over himself and Nikki and returned their clothes and hair to its original state. 

But, the door opening did not reveal the food trolley.

"Cindy? What you doing here?" Sirius asked in puzzlement. "And is that you? Wendy? Melanie? Kristina? What are all of you doing here?"

The girl in the front, a true blue blond with hair and brains to match fluttered her long eyelashes up at Sirius. "Why, to join you, James, Remus and Peter, what else?" And she giggled as only she could, something which everyone except herself found extremely irritating. 

"Oh... errr," Sirius started.

"Why thank you!" And she pushed past him, followed by her entire entourage. "Jame-" The words died on her mouth as she caught sight of who else was in the compartment with them. "Oh, Err, Lily, Nikki, Bella, Gab. How... errr... nice to see you. I didn't realise you would be here!" She answered, and expression of delight on her face, yet her words were as false as my grandmother's teeth, and they were more frosty than even a polar bear would care to enjoy. 

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap Cindy, and get out."

Cindy glared daggers at her. "I don't take orders from you Black!" She snarled. "I don't hear Siri hear say anything." She turned to Sirius, rasing her eyebrow expectantly and flashing him a bright smile.

When he didn't say anything, she turned to the other three Marauders. "Jamesie? Remmy? Petey?" She called and looked at each one in turn. Remus grimaced as he heard his nickname from Gab roll of her fake lips. 

"I've brought Wendy for Jamesie, Mel for Remmy and Khris for Petey. Surely you don't want us to go?" 

Bella turned to look at her just as coolly. "So you're here for Sirius eh?" 

Cindy smiled and nodded confidently. 

Behind her, Sirius snorted. "Cindy get out! You too! All four of you, just get out! If you don't already know, me and Bella are together, and we will be together for a long time yet. I suggest, that if you want me that much, go chat up my brother, he's the one in Slytherin, the one that looks so much like me. Regulus Black? I'm sure you know him," he said lightly. 

The shock of hearing that Sirius was taken was soon replaced with coolness. "Ahh... I see that. But surely you won't mind us staying here, since the rest of us..." she trailed of as she watched her friends attempting to chat the respective Marauders up. 

Sirius shrugged. "For your information, Remus is also taken. Tell Melanie to get off him, now."

Remus scowled heavily and pulled Gab down beside him, and placing a hand firmly around her slim waist. "Melanie, could you please?" He waited for her to get up, before replying. "Thank you."

"Well, so that leaves James and Peter. Guys?" Sirius asked. 

But James was too busy sneezing away. "Tell –achoo- her to –achoo- get out!! I think I'm alergic to her –achoo- damned perfume!" This ended with an extremely loud sneeze, which had Lily and Nikki laughing in fits and James eyes streaming with tears. "-Achoo- Leave me –achoo- alone! Argghh! LILY! –ACHOO- HELP!" 

Lily laughed at him, but she waved her wand and James nose stopped running. 

"Dank oo!" James replied happily. "Bud I dink by dose's abid sore..." He said, sniffling a bit. 

"Pete?" Sirius asked expectantly.

Peter shook his head firmly and stared up at the advancing girl with terrified eyes. "Sirius? Get her away! SIRIUS! I SWEAR SHE'S GOT AN EVIL LOOK IN HER EYES! SIRIUS!!! JAMES!!! REMUS!!!?" 

Sirius then turned back to Cindy. "Heard that? No one wants you here."

He looked at them, and moved aside to let them pass. A heavy silence hung in the air, and all eight faces were turned to the four girls, whose faces were gradually becoming the shade of ripe plumes. He raised an eyebrow, an unspoken threat in the air. The four girls could do nothing, but turn around and march out, glaring daggers at the four girls in the compartment.

Sirius peeked outside at the corridor, the many eager faces that had popped out to see the outcome of the meeting quickly withdrew back into their compartments.

"Nosey gits!" Sirius muttered and shut the door, before settling himself back down onto the floor. And a period of silence descended onto the compartment. 

"Aah," James said brightly after some time, breaking into the silence. "So, where were we?"

Nikki snapped her fingers. "The barbeque. Lils, Gab, you've absolutely got to come! I swear... It's always good."

Lily nodded. "I'm free. Hell, I would love to get away from Petunia." She looked at Gab, who was nodding. 

"Count me in too! Remus, you'll be going, won't you?" 

Remus nodded.

"Hey!" Came an indignant yelp. "What about me? Nikki, I'm hurt! Why didn't you invite me?" They turned their head towards Bella, who was the speaker. 

Nikki raised her eyebrow. "Do we even need to invite you? I'm sure Sirius already did." And she laughed. 

*

The eight reached London just as night started to fall. 

"So, I suppose I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow?" Lily asked as they stood at the entrance of the station. 

Her friends nodded. "Too bad you couldn't just go straight to James' house eh?"

Lily nodded. And as she started to reply, a voice called out from behind her. "_Leeeliii_!!!"

She turned around, and was engulfed in a hug by Jake. 

"Hey Jake," Lily's voice was muffled as it was covered by his shirt. "Can't... Breathe..."

"Sorry!" He let her go, eyes twinkling. "And, Lily, we'll be meeting up during summer right?" 

Lily nodded in affirmation, and said, "owl me the details ok?"

"Ok." He turned to leave. "And, Lily? I'll miss you!" And bounded away to his parents. 

Lily turned back to her friends, and as she did, caught sight of Nikki's face. There was a weird expression on those flawless features. 

'_Hmm... I wonder...' Lily mused as she studied her friend. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There! Finally off my shoulders! Well, here is the fifth chapter of Just Another Sappy Love Story! Sorry it took so long! I was busy with my exams, and my other fanfic: Turn Left Turn Right. Hmm, maybe you people could drop by to have a look at it. 

Well, this chapter, nothing much did happen, but it's kind of like a build up to subsequent chapters where the plot will start to thicken. Lily and James should get together quite soon, but I don't know when. I roughly have the plot worked out, but it's not very fixed, so I can add things as I go along. 

I had a rather difficult time writing this chapter, after coming off a rather long break from writing JASLS. So, this chapter might be rather disjointed at the moment. Hopefully I'll have the sixth chapter out in a jiffy, but I will have to work some stuff out first. But, if any of you want an extremely fluffy read, please ready my other story, as I said before: TLTR. 

~cube


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